Harmonizing Heavy Hearts
by Stygian Hazard
Summary: For some time, Ash has been feeling empty deep down. After the Lily of the Valley Conference, he realizes that the reason why might be in Alto Mare. So together with Pikachu, he decides to make an impromptu visit to the City of Water. Meanwhile, a certain dragoness there has been feeling the same way. Only time will tell if their hearts will unify. Contains AshxLatias altoshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, based on a lot of things, I've decided to try my hand at writing fan-fiction again. Anywho, this has been stuck in my head for a while now. So I decided to post it and see what happens.**

 **Also, some of you may have noticed that this has come out again. That's because I decided to extend it, because let's face it, size does matter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I have bought most of the games.**

 **"Talking out loud."**

 _ **"Telepathy."**_

 ** _'Thinking.'_**

* * *

 _'Here we are...'_ Ash thought to himself as he stood with his partner Pikachu atop a hill overlooking his hometown.

After a long trek, he and Pikachu had finally made it back home, after leaving Brock behind at the crossroads to travel back to Pewter City. Ash frowned a bit, thinking about how he had to say goodbye to Brock for the third time, he felt even more dejected because this time it seemed a lot more final. Brock was finally going after a true dream, one that had requirements and required him to stay in one place for a long period of time. While Ash was admittedly ecstatic for Brock, he couldn't help but wish that Brock could have kept traveling with him.

A slight shift from Pikachu on his shoulder brought Ash's attention back to the real world.

"There's Pallet Town," Ash said, looking at his partner. "Let's go, Pikachu."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed before jumping off Ash's shoulder to run beside him to Pallet Town.

Ash grinned ran next to Pikachu's side to see who could get to Pallet Town first. It's a tradition they had started ever since returning home after the Indigo Plateau. However, internally he felt a little sad. Maybe it was from losing the Lily of the Valley Conference, or the thought of not being able to see Brock for a long time, or maybe even something else.

"Pi?" A voice sounded, alerting Ash to the fact that they had reached town, and Pikachu had beaten him. Again.

"Looks like you win again, huh buddy?" Ash said, grinning down at Pikachu as he tried to brush off the thoughts that kept buzzing in the back of his mind.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu proclaimed, looking smug before turning around to head into town.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief before following his starter. He started looking around absentmindedly, noticing how most people seemed to be out and about. Before long, they had both arrived home to see Mr. Mime out front sweeping the front steps. At the sight of them, Mr. Mime suddenly stopped and ran into the house. Glancing at each other in confusion, they hurried over to the door just in time to see Mr. Mime walking back with a note in his hand.

"Mr. Mime!" He blurted out, before pushing the note into Ash's hand.

"Um, ok..." Ash said, looking down at the note. "Thanks, Mr. Mime."

"Mime." Mr. Mime replied, smiling at Ash before returning outside to continue sweeping the steps.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, climbing up onto Ash's shoulder in order to get a better look at the note.

"I dunno, let's find out," Ash looked down at the note and started to read aloud. "Dear Ash, first let me start by saying how proud I am of how for you got at the Lily of the Valley Conference. I made sure to watch every single one of your matches. You really did your best, Top 4 is your best yet. I'm sure you'll get even further next time." At this Ash just smiled slightly, glad his mother was so profoundly on his side no matter what. Though even with that, he kept thinking about how he should've been able to do better. Noticing there was a bit more to this letter, he decided to ignore those thoughts again and keep on reading. "I wish I could have been home to see you again, but something came up unexpectedly. Professor Oak got a call from his associate Professor Juniper over in the Unova region. He was kind enough to invite me along. I've always wanted to see the Unova region and luckily he recalled that fact. Since I had nothing else really going at home, I decided to go. I hope you don't mind. If you need to contact me, Tracey has the number for Professor Juniper's Lab. I hope you had a safe trip home. I left a lot of food in the fridge for you and Pikachu. I love you Ash, welcome home." At this Ash broke up a bit, suddenly realizing how desolate the house felt. A sudden pat on his cheek caused him to turn his head.

"Chu?" Pikachu asked, looking over at him in concern.

Ash swallowed roughly, clenching the note in his hand before smiling assuredly at his longtime friend. "No need to worry, Pikachu. I'm just, well, this is the first time we came home and mom wasn't here. It's a bit weird, isn't it?"

"Pi." Pikachu replied, his ears drooping slightly.

"It's ok, we can just call her up later, right?" Ash said, causing Pikachu to perk up and nod in agreement.

Ash looked back at the letter, noticing there was a bit more. A P.S. that mentioned making sure to change his underwear every day. He decided not to read that part aloud to Pikachu. Putting the note aside, he set the souvenirs he had bought in the Sinnoh region on a table before walking further into the house. Going into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of ketchup before tossing it to Pikachu. "Here you go buddy, enjoy." He grinned as Pikachu yanked the lid off and started to guzzle it down in joy then and there. Looking to see what else his mom had left him, he found a sandwich that seemed pretty appetizing and a can of soda.

"So, is there anything you want to do Pikachu?" He asked, looking down at his partner only to notice that Pikachu was too engrossed with the ketchup to notice anything else in the world. "I'm gonna guess eat and nothing else."

He put the sandwich in the microwave to heat up before looking out the window. Deciding the kitchen could do with a bit of fresh air, he opened the window and smiled as he saw a bunch of Pidgey flying overhead. Hearing the ding of the microwave, he took his sandwich before sitting down at the table, taking note that Pikachu was seemingly already halfway done with the ketchup bottle. "Really, Pikachu? Slow down a bit buddy, you don't want to get an upset stomach again."

Pikachu paused briefly in thought. A quick glare from Ash caused him to sigh before putting the bottle aside in agreement.

Ash smiled before reaching down to give Pikachu a quick pat on the head before reaching over to grab his sandwich. At least, he was until Mr. Mime angrily swatted his hand away.

"Ouch!" Ash complained, holding his hand to ease the sudden blow. "What did you do that for?!"

Mr. Mime glared at him before pointing to Ash's hands, then the sink. "Mime! Mr. Mime."

"Seriously?" Ash bemoaned before getting up to walk over the sink and start washing his hands. "If it's not mom, it's Mr. Mime. I just can't catch a break..." He mumbled to himself before turning around and showing his hands to Mr. Mime for inspection. "Can I eat now?"

"Mime!" Mr. Mime smiled at him before moving aside, letting Ash sit down before handing him a few napkins and coaster for his soda.

Ash rolled his eyes before smiling at Mr. Mimes thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Mr. Mime."

Mr. Mime patted his shoulder before walking out to do more housework.

"Pika..." Pikachu moaned from the floor.

Ash looked down before sweat dropping. "Not again." He groaned, seeing that Pikachu had taken advantage of Mr. Mime's distraction to hastily finish off the ketchup.

Ash checked over him for a moment and decided that Pikachu would be ok after a rest. He turned his attention back to his sandwich and made short work of it, leaving not even a crumb on his plate. Letting out a loud burn and sighing in contentment, he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. Seeing that the room had gotten a bit darker since sitting down, he turned to look out the window to see the sun setting. After closing the window, Ash then carefully picked up Pikachu and his backpack before going upstairs to his room. Setting Pikachu gently on the bed, he then emptied his backpack, putting the badges and other items he had gotten on top of his chest before tossing the rest on his chair to sort through later.

"Mr. Mime?" Mr. Mime whispered, standing by the door.

Ash looked over before nodding, seeing that Mr. Mime had come to check if he was going to sleep. Mr. Mime then quietly shut the door before walking away. After a moment Ash decided to change his clothes and go brush his teeth, knowing that his mom had probably told Mr. Mime to check up on that and he did not want to be woken up later in the night to do it. As he brushed his teeth, his mind kept going over the past week. His time with Brock and Dawn, his travels, the places he went. Stopping to spit, he looked at his troubled reflection in the mirror in confusion.

 _'What's going on with me?'_ He thought to himself. After a few moments of idle thought he shook his head and quickly gargled before leaving the bathroom to return to his room and go to bed.

* * *

Several hours later, Ash opened his eyes in defeat. He inwardly groaned as he lay awake in his room at night. Again. Glancing over at Pikachu, who had snuggled up next to him at some point, he smiled in content at the sight of his sleeping partner before frowning and looking up at the ceiling. By this point he figured it'd be another one of those sleepless night. His thoughts kept circling the same thing over and over again, the emptiness in his chest.

Throughout most of his journey, deep down, he had been feeling a little empty inside. He never really gave it much thought before, figuring maybe it had to do with the fact that he was away from home. But now here he is, at home, in bed, and he still felt empty inside. And the feeling just wouldn't go away no matter what he did.

Slowly, he quietly made his was out of bed without disturbing Pikachu. As he walked towards the door, his eye caught the multitude of trophies, badges, and gifts he had gained during his many years as a Pokémon trainer. Some glinted in the moonlight, others seemingly inconspicuous. He made his way over to them and glanced over them fondly. He winced a little as he noticed his most recently acquired Sinnoh badges, recalling the final match he had at the Lily of the Valley Conference against Tobias and his legendaries; Darkrai and Latios.

 _'Latios...'_ Ash thought to himself as he looked at the top of the chest once more, searching for something in particular before his eyes zeroed on it towards the back, under the soothe bells he had won with Paul of all people.

Reaching out, he picked up a single piece of paper. Looking over it, he smiled as he leaned against the wall, letting the moonlight shine on it to get a better view. Out of all of his treasures, this was the only one that was handmade. But that wasn't the reason why it meant so much to him. Besides the incredible detail and besides the added reminder of his time there, it had been given to him by one of his most treasured friends.

As he gazed at the hand drawn picture of him and Pikachu, his thoughts went back to the moment he had received it. Back at the pier, on that bright and sunny day, as he left the city of Alto Mare. He blushed suddenly as he recalled the kiss that had happened at that same moment. To this day, he was sure his friends figured it was Bianca who had kissed him at the pier. But he knew better. The look in her eyes, the soft smile on her lips, and the feelings being around her elicited in him. It was Latias.

He thought back to when they first met, or at least, the first time he saw her in person. In that semi-secluded square by the watering fountain, he just knew there was something different about her the moment he saw her. He was about to ask her before she suddenly ran off, and got attacked… Thank Arceus Pikachu had noticed and they were able to save her. After that she disappeared again and he got distracted with Brock and Misty. He got lucky that they had decided to go to the museum and that he noticed her there, if he had not seen the girl again then, he would have most likely gone searching for her later.

Unfortunately, the girl had been the human Bianca. Luckily, Latias had decided to seek Ash out at the same time he was following the wrong girl, allowing them to run into each other again. Even though he was confused at the time, seeing the girl that had denied knowing him earlier with a haughty look on her face was now gazing and smiling at him from the bridge, he had no time to think about it before she quickly ran away. He recalled the exasperation he had felt, and the excitement. This time the girl stopped every so often, allowing him to catch up before running off again. It wasn't a game of hide and seek anymore, this time it was a game of tag.

He laughed out loud suddenly at the thought of playing tag with a legendary Pokémon. Though to be honest, it wasn't the strangest thing to have ever happened to him during his journey.

"Pi…?" A sleepy voice came over from his bed.

He glanced over and saw that his sudden loud laugh had apparently woken up Pikachu.

"Sorry buddy," he whispered, mindful of making sure to not wake Mr. Mime. "Just remembering something. You can go back to sleep."

Pikachu stared at Ash for a moment before noticing the paper in his hand. Nimbly jumping off of the bed, Pikachu walked over to his trainer to gaze at the picture. "Chu?" He asked, ears twitching as he admired the gift from Latias.

"Haha, yeah..." Ash murmured. "I couldn't help myself, once I saw this. It was a really beautiful city, wasn't it Pikachu?"

"Pi." Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Ash closed his eyes briefly before they suddenly shot open in shock. Pikachu glanced over at him as he felt his trainer's sudden excitement.

"Pika?" He asked.

Ash didn't answer, his hand going to his chest as his heart rate sped up. The emptiness, it had lessened a bit. Though what disappeared was replaced with a new feeling. Longing. He looked back at the picture before noticing Pikachu staring at him in concern. He smiled reassuringly before giving Pikachu a pat on the head.

"Hey Pikachu..." He started. "Have you ever wanted to go back to Alto Mare?"

Pikachu glanced at the picture again before looking back at Ash and gave a smile. "Pi pikachu!" He exclaimed.

"Shhhh!" Ash shushed him desperately, not moving for several moments to check Mr. Mime had heard. When Mr. Mime didn't come running in yelling while brandishing a broom as a sword, like last time, he sighed in relief.

"That was close…" He muttered as Pikachu sheepishly grinned at him. "Well then, if you're up for it too, let's go. Do you think we should call ahead or surprise Latias and the others?"

Pikachu looked down as he quietly thought for a few moments before replying. "Pika pi?"

Ash smiled; glad they were on the same page as usual. "Yeah, surprising them would be a lot more fun. Plus, maybe we can do the Tour de Alto Mare again. I'll need to bring some old friends along, I'm sure Totodile would love another go at the Tour." He thought quietly out loud.

Pikachu simply nodded at him before yawning.

"Hehe..." Ash sweat dropped. "Maybe we should talk about this in the morning?"

"Chu…" Pikachu murmured in agreement before Ash picked him up and carried him over the bed, bringing the paper with him and setting it on the night stand before getting back in the bed. The emptiness in his chest was even less now, though again the longing in him grew. However, he was still restless, though for a totally different reason this time.

"Right." Ash replied. "First thing in the morning then, we'll get everything ready and grab some friends to bring along."

"Chu." Pikachu sleepily replied, before turning over and immediately entering the realm of sleep.

Ash stared up at the ceiling again, thoughts of Alto Mare filling his head, as well as the legendary Pokémon he had met there. He wondered if she'd remember him, it had been 3 very long years after all. A lot had happened. He frowned internally at the thought.

 _'I really hope she remembers me,'_ He thought to himself. It was a stupid thought, he had to admit to himself. Yet he still couldn't help but worry. _'Well, I guess I'll find out soon.'_

His eyelids slowly grew heavier as he contemplated his new destination, and the people there. Looking over at the drawing by his bed one more time, his last thoughts of the night centered around the red and white dragoness he had played with so long ago in the Secret Garden of Alto Mare.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

Ash woke up to the sensation of falling. Blinking a few times, he noticed he actually was falling. Letting out a totally non-girlish scream of utter terror, he looked around to see what had happened. After a brief moment, he realized his body wasn't what it was supposed to be. It didn't look like a human body at all for that matter. Thinking hard, he realized that his body was that of a-

 _"Latios?"_ He asked out loud. His eyes widened, both at this realization that he was now a Pokémon and that he was getting a lot closer to the ground.

 _"Oh shit!"_ Ash yelled, willing his body to stop. Surprisingly it did. Ash let out a whoop of joy before letting out another non-girlish scream when his excitement caused his concentration to break. Luckily he was only a few feet from the ground at that point, so the impact didn't hurt his new dragon body at all.

Slowly floating up, he shook his head to clear his thoughts and moved forward to the lake. Looking down, he saw his reflection and confirmed what he thought earlier.

 _"I'm a fucking Latios."_ Ash gaped at his reflection in utter shock. Thinking about what to do next, he looked around to see if he could get any ideas. An idea hit him after a few minutes. ' _Invisibility!'_ Ash looked back down at the water and thought really hard about being invisible. Slowly, parts of him became invisible until at least he couldn't see his body at all anymore. Ash grinned to himself.

 _'With this ability, I have to... no, I need to think... To better humanity... Or even...'_ Ash thought long and hard to himself before thinking, what would Brock do? _"I need to go peep on someone."_ Ash then set out for Cerulean City.

* * *

 **A/N: Well I think this should be enough to get things going. I'm still thinking about how to proceed after this… But don't worry, you know, if you are worrying. I have something good planned, or I will. Soon. Also, please let me know what you think, thoughts and ideas and opinions are always appreciated.**

 **That said, I hope you enjoyed this extended version. I also tweaked a few things here and there. All in all, I think this is shaping up better than I had hoped. I hope you think so too.**

 **What do you think of the omake? I got the idea for it after reading Dragonfall by Storylover Vodhr- Dux Ducis. Though this Ash is a bit more... eh. By the way, I should recommend that fic, I've been hooked on lately. It's one of those huge stories. And he added a lot to the Lati as a species in it. Definitely a good read. Well anyway, until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again, and welcome to Chapter 2. For those who followed the story, I'd recommend going back to reread chapter 1, as I extended and tweaked a few things. That said, please enjoy this second installment.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I have bought most of the games.**

 **"Talking out loud."**

 _ **"Telepathy."**_

 ** _'Thinking.'_**

* * *

Latias sighed to herself as she waited by the pier. After all these years, Ash was finally coming back to her. She could just see the ferry closing in on the horizon, she had half a mind to transform and fly over to meet him. Unfortunately, there were a lot people milling about this time of day and she couldn't risk being seen like that. She bit her lip, silently urging the ferry to speed up.

A few people walked by holding food and what appeared to be gifts. She suddenly wondered if she should have gotten something for Ash, he was bound to be hungry. Not to mention the fact that people in love usually gave gifts to their significant others.

 _'Down girl_ , _'_ Latias thought to herself. _'_ _He isn't yours yet.'_ She suddenly blushed harder, realizing she had added a yet to the end of that thought. It was too soon for even a thought like that. _'Still, maybe I have at least a small chance...'_ She thought as she gazed at a couple who walked by her holding hands. She shook off those thoughts and looked back up, noticing that ferry was a lot closer than it had been before.

She started to make her way over to the pier, her anticipation getting the best of her. After all these years, she was finally going to meet her first love again. And this time, she wouldn't let him go as easily as she had before. She turned around abruptly, her face heating up as she recalled how she had said goodbye to him last time. A kiss. Of all things, she had done that to him, in front of other people. She could only imagine what her brother or Bianca would have said had they witnessed the act. She took a deep breath and turned around, looking back out to sea. There was no point worrying about it now, she didn't really regret it. The only regret she really had, whenever she was alone and thinking about it, was that the kiss had not been on the lips.

Finally, the ferry was close enough for her to be able to make out the words S.S. EON on the front side. She snorted softly at the ironic name. Her heart began to race as the ferry started to dock. She moved back a bit, both to let the passengers easily pass her by and to get a better view of the people leaving the ship to see the one human she wanted to see most. After an eternity she finally saw a familiar looking hat.

 _"Ash!"_ She mentally cried out to him.

The hat, and the head it was attached to suddenly turned in her direction. And time stopped as soft amber eyes met deep cognac eyes.

Latias couldn't look away even if she wanted to. _"After all this time…"_ She said, slowly walking over to him. _"I…"_

Ash cut her off with a sudden unexpected hug. She gasped and blushed, the warmth she'd felt when she first saw him had become an instant inferno. Her heart beat faster than a Ninjask's wings as she melted against him, she was certain that he had to have been able to feel it. She hugged him back tightly, nuzzling his face as she breathed in his scent. Her pupils dilated as she allowed herself to bask in his scent for the first time in years.

"I've missed you a lot, Latias." Ash mumbled against her, his breath ghosted across her ear causing an excited shiver within her. She could only hug him tighter in response.

After a few moments that had felt like an eternity, Ash let her go reluctantly. Brushing some hair away from her face, he gazed at her before smiling. "There's something I need to tell you, something I should have done a long time ago."

Latias tilted her head in confusion, wondering what on Earth Ash could be talking about.

Grinning slightly at her confused look, Ash continued. "I've been thinking about you a lot, ever since I left Alto Mare. And I've always regretted leaving here. I mean, what I'm trying to say is that the reason I came back wasn't because I missed Alto Mare. It's because I missed you."

Latias's heart swelled as she heard the words she longed to hear from Ash. Smiling widely at him, she was about to return the sentiment before he slowly started to lean towards her face. Latias trembled as he grew closer. Closing her eyes, she started to lean towards him as well.

"LATIAS!" A voice shouted out.

Latias's eyes shot open. Rising up in shock, she looked wildly around her and realized she was still in the Secret Garden. Ash was not just about to kiss her at sunrise by the pier. And Bianca was at the base of her tree looking up at her in bemusement. She turned invisible quickly as to not let Bianca see how bright a red she was quickly becoming.

"Latias?" Bianca called out in worry since she was unable to see Latias anywhere in the tree she normally slept in. "Are you there? Is something the matter?"

Latias buried her head under her arms, willing herself to calm down. She breathed in deeply before exhaling. Satisfied that she wasn't going to spontaneously combust, she became visible again and slowly flew down to Bianca.

 _"Hello, Bianca. How are you today?"_ She asked telepathically, putting on an air of indifference as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Bianca just stared, wondering what was going on in the dragoness's mind. After a moment, she figured it could be either about Latios or Ash. Taking a decent shot in the dark, she asked. "So, how did you dream date go with Ash?"

Latias face started to burn again at hearing that question and turned her head quickly in the other direction before answering. _"I don't know what you're talking about…"_ She muttered.

Bianca grinned in Latias's general direction before humming softly. "Oh…? I could have sworn I heard you say his name in your sleep earlier though Latias."

The legendary eon Pokémon froze. There was no way she talked out loud in her sleep, did she? She decided Bianca had to have been joking. There was no way she was a sleep talker. If she was, well, Bianca would have definitely brought it up before. If she had heard this dream, well, she'd be very thankful that Bianca had heard this dream instead of one of the other dreams that had Ash coming to Alto More and "convincing" her to leave and become his Pokémon, and even more. After schooling her expression, she quickly replied. _"I'm pretty sure you misheard me. I could have said dash, or bash, or flash, or splash..."_ She rattled off, naming anything she could think of that rhymed with Ash. Latias winced internally at the awful excuse she just gave. A quick glance at Bianca's expression showed that she wasn't buying it either.

"If you say so," Bianca replied, looking nonplussed at her best friend's reaction. Then again, Latias usually didn't seem to be able to think suitably whenever anything related to Ash Ketchum came up. The biggest clue was back in the beginning when she brought Ash to the Secret Garden, thus making him the first Pokémon trainer, no, the first human who wasn't a part of her family to ever set foot in it. Bianca frowned a slightly as she thought back to that day. Thinking back, she recalled Latios mentioning that Latias had actually been tailing Ash for a while earlier during the Tour de Alto Mare. Something that she had never done at any of the other Tours she went to watch. Looking back at Latias, she noticed that Latias was also deep in thought again. She reached over and gave Latias a gentle pat on her head to get her attention. "Are you ok?"

Latias blinked, suddenly aware that she and Bianca had reached the edge of Secret Garden and now stood in front of the illusionary wall that separated from the rest of Alto Mare. She looked behind her, eyeing her brother's Soul Dew at the far end of the Secret Garden. She turned back after being mollified that it was still safe and put on her Bianca illusion before following Bianca out of the Secret Garden into the outside world. She turned to Bianca and grinned at her, finding it a lot easier to do with the illusion covering her real expression. _"I_ _'m fine, Bianca. I was just wondering where I should start my patrol today, that's all."_

Bianca smiled dolefully at her friend, knowing that lately these patrols were taking their toll on Latias. Before, Latios actually patrolled most of the city to allow his sister more time to play and explore the city. Since he had become the Soul Dew… Well, Latias grew up too fast too soon.

"How about, if you have time for a lunch break, you should stop by the museum and we can grab lunch together. How does that sound Latias?" Bianca hoped she'd say yes, and started to think up of excuses in case Latias said no.

Latias paused briefly, thinking it over. It had been ages since she and Bianca had eaten out together. And she was getting a little tired of fish and berries lately. Plus, she should be able to take it a bit easy on her patrols. It had been months since an incident happened. She looked over at Bianca, who was staring at her in apprehension. After a moment she smiled and nodded. _"That sounds wonderful; I'll meet you there in a few hours."_

Bianca grinned and gave Latias a hug. "All right! I'll be sure to have something prepared when you're free." She then gave a quick wave goodbye before making a quick turn and running towards the museum.

* * *

Latias watched Bianca until she disappeared from sight before turning and walking down the familiar streets towards the heart of the city, the Piazza. The streets weren't that crowded during this time of day. The island of Alto Mare was pretty barren during this time of day aside from the fisherman and people commuting to work. _'_ _Well now…'_ Latias thought to herself. _'_ _I'd better try to get as much done as I can so I can meet up with Bianca.'_ She looked around to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Taking small notice of the statues that were erected ages ago of her and Latios, she smiled sadly before quickly turning and resuming her lookout. There wasn't much going on, just a bunch of obvious looking tourists walking around. She laughed internally as she noticed that one had his map upside down. Deciding to help him out, she stealthily used Psychic to pull it out of his hands and flip it right side up. She giggled as he jumped up and away from his map before looking around wildly to find the culprit. Latias kept walking, acting like she didn't even notice the man as she strolled away.

She kept walking, quickly and efficiently navigating her way through the city like no other resident could no matter how long they'd lived there. After some time from doing solo patrols, she'd found that it was a lot more enjoyable doing them while mingling with the residents. It was certainly a lot more fulfilling. Especially when the residents would nod and smile at her while giving their thanks. Moreover, most of the time her true form wasn't really necessary to help out unless it was a true emergency.

Walking a bit quicker now, she made her way over to one of the crowded areas. A street filled with a lot of restaurants. A lot of people would come here during all times of the day for some classic Alto Mare food. A few restaurant owners would wake up before dawn and go fishing for their restaurants before opening time. Whether it was remoraid, magikarp, or even qwilfish; the owners would quickly fish as much as they could before bring their catch back in order to prepare for the day's menu. Latias sniffed the ear, it seemed like everything was done preparing based on the scent filling the air. Smiling at a group of kids who ran by her, she made her way over to the side of the street and looked in through the windows to see the workers and people. A quick glance was all it took to see that even this early people loved to go out and eat. Latias smiled, she couldn't really blame them considering the wonderful options there were in the city. Even if it wasn't as homey and definitive as it was before the tourism boom happened. Still though, Alto Mare remained true to its roots and would remain so in the future. Reaching the end of the street, she made her way through a narrow alley to get to the next section of her patrol.

Latias continued on through the streets and alleys, stopping occasionally to stop and gaze at the people walking about. Her gaze tended to linger a bit on the couples as an empty feeling grew in her chest. Nonetheless she kept going, determined to not think about the reason behind the feeling. Deciding to take a break from walking, she walked over to a vaporetto stop. This was definitely one of her favorite things about the city. A vaporetto is one of the main modes of public transportation in Alto Mare. It was pretty much a big boat, though most people would call it a waterbus or water taxi. She showed her pass, which was an exact copy of the one Bianca had, to the ferryman. Getting on, she took a seat near the back and stared outside, checking to see if everything was in order. She stretched and let out a small moan in delight, glad to be in the shade under the roof of the vaporetto. Turning her attention back outside, she looked back out and admired the city. The sun had gotten high enough that the sunrays bounced of the water of the canals in a way that made them seem to sparkle. Latias smiled as she took in the sight. Seeing that the sun was getting higher in the sky, and that she needed to meet Bianca soon, she decided to make quick work of the rest of the patrol. After a few stops, she decided it was time to get out and move on.

After getting off the vaporetto she took few twists and turns before slipping into an empty and secluded alleyway before transforming to a natural form and going invisible. Flying up quickly, she turned and looked down at the city of Alto Mare. After deciding on what path to take she brought her arms tightly against her side and dove down into a free fall before pulling up swiftly and started to glide speedily over the city. A few windows shook as she flew past, working her way block by block, gazing at her city's inhabitants as they worked and walked around the city. Every few blocks are so she'd stop and take a look around to see if anyone needed help or something. Luckily it seemed that today all of the humans and Pokémon in Alto Mare were getting along just fine. Latias sighed in relief. She really hoped nothing major would happen again. Especially not like that sewage incident last summer during the heavy rain and flooding. She shuddered at the thought, too much, there was just so much…

She kept this up for a few hours until she reached the Grand Canal. Smiling as the whole patrol had gone off without incident; she turned in the direction of the museum and suddenly noticed a huge banner stretching across the side of a bridge in the canal. Flying closer out of curiosity, she drifted right in front of the banner and read aloud to herself.

 _"It's once again time for the world famous water_ _Pokémon only competition, THE TOUR DE ALTO MARE!"_ Latias blinked in shock, not even bothering to read the rest of the banner. Her mind whirled. Was it that time of year again already? She hovered in place, staring at the sign in incomprehension, thoughts of the last Tour she'd attended a few years back. Ever since then she didn't have the heart to go to another. It was more than just because it had also been the last one she had seen with her brother. A sudden cry of shock caught her attention and she looked up to see a child pointing Latias out to her parents. Latias quickly gave herself a once-over and sighed in relief, thankful that she was apparently still invisible. The child must've noticed her outline as she had stood still for so long. Latias dropped down suddenly and hid under the bridge, waiting there both to be sure that the humans hadn't noticed her and that they'd left. She waited a few minutes before cautiously flying out from under the bridge. Seeing that the family was gone, she let out a breath and decided to head over to the museum.

Latias dove into the water silently, barely creating a splash before zooming forward through the canals towards the museum. Making her way through the watery maze of the canals, she made sure to stay low enough to not shake the gondolas and vaporetti up above her while dodging out of the way of the other Pokémon swimming in the canal. All the while thoughts of the Tour de Alto Mare and the human she had met during it once clouded her mind.

* * *

Bianca smiled at passersby as she made her way through the museum after giving another group of tourists the infamous Museum del Alto Mare tour. The tourists had all been enthralled by the art and sculptures that filled the museum. And who could blame them? Alto Mare was famous for its art. Of course, the city of Alto Mare also had a very rich history. There was a lot more to the city than just its guardian Pokémon and the defense mechanism. Although there weren't any surviving historical records that dealt directly with the founding of the city there were a lot of facts concerning how the city became what it was. The information wasn't just in the museum either, all one had to do was walk around the city. There were facts and hints all over the place showing just how Alto Mare grew and prospered into the amazing and beautiful city it was today.

She made her way to the front desk and sat down. Sighing, she checked the time on the computer. It was nearing noon. Latias was likely on her way. Bianca grinned, knowing Latias would be pretty happy with what she had planned for lunch. Shortly after leaving Latias, she had made a quick call to make reservations at a small family owned restaurant called _Trattoria Aldini_ that'd been in Alto Mare for several years now. While it may not be world famous, everyone in Alto Mare certainly knew of it.

 _'I should probably get going.'_ She thought. She quickly got up and waved at her grandfather to let him know she was leaving. Getting a nod in return, she made her way towards the entrance.

Walking outside, Bianca squinted as the sunlight hit her eyes. After giving her eyes a few seconds to adjust she noticed Latias sitting at the bottom of the steps in front of the museum. Bianca slowly made her way down, taking note of the forlorn air surrounding Latias. She frowned slightly, wondering what could have happened during the patrol to cause this. Before she could ask, Latias spoke.

 _"The Tour de Alto Mare is next week."_ Latias said flatly, not even turning towards Bianca.

Bianca winced, that certainly explained a lot.

Latias stood up and turned towards Bianca with a blank expression on her face. _'_ _So where did you want to eat?'_

 _'Well this is starting off great…'_ Bianca thought before forcing a smile on her face and replying. "That's a surprise. Follow me?" She started to walk without waiting for a response, hoping to distract Latias with guessing where they were going.

Latias blinked in momentary surprise before hastily following Bianca, wondering where she was being led. After about 5 minutes, Latias eyes widened as she finally realized where the path they were walking on was going. _"Trattoria Aldini?"_

Bianca turned and smiled, hearing Latias's excitement in the question. "That's right."

Latias had to stop herself from squealing in joy. _Trattoria Aldini_ was one of the hidden marvels of Alto Mare. While many may scoff at saying that about a restaurant, there was no one who could deny that statement after eating there. She had always loved the leftovers Bianca brought from there. And the family who owned it was really friendly too.

They had finally reached the restaurant, which was as usual very busy. Latias waited by the door as Bianca walked up to the Maître D' and gave her name. After a moment, the Maître D' nodded and smiled at her before motioning a host over to lead her into the restaurant. Bianca turned back and gave Latias a quick motion to follow her. Latias made her way forward and fell in line behind Bianca. Latias marveled as she looked around the restaurant. Despite hearing about it and eating its food, she'd never actually been inside. Despite the prominence of the restaurant, the inside was soft, warm, and surprisingly homey. Latias sniffed delicately, smelling scents she'd never thought possible before. She couldn't really recognize much, as the combination of scents caused her stomach to growl. She blushed as Bianca looked back at her and smirked after undoubtedly hearing her stomach betray her.

They reached their table, which faced the window overlooking the canal. The host pulled out the chairs for them. After sitting down, he handed them their menus.

"Good afternoon," He said with a slightly noticeable Sinnoh accent. "My name is Makito and I will be your host for this meal. Can I offer you two lovely ladies any refreshments?""

 _"Water."_ Latias said to Bianca.

"We'd like two glasses of spring water please." Bianca replied, smiling at the man.

"Very well, I shall return shortly." The host gave a small nod to them both before leaving towards the kitchen.

Bianca turned her attention back to Latias who was in the staring out the window.

"Ok, spill." Bianca said.

Latias looked back at Bianca. " _Pardon?"_

"You've been spacing out more and more lately. What's going on with you?" Bianca asked.

 _"N_ _othing!"_ Latias responded defiantly.

Bianca merely quirked an eyebrow at her. "Well it sure doesn't seem like it."

Latias's reply was cut off by the waiter who had returned with their drinks.

"Here you are. Have you decided on what you'd like to eat yet?" He asked them.

A quick shake of the head from Latias gave Bianca the answer she needed to give. "No, I'm sorry. Could we have a few minutes?"

"Of course," Makito replied, smiling at her. "I'll be back shortly."

After he walked away Latias responded. _"I really am fine, Bianca. I've just been… Tired. That's all."_

Bianca sighed and turned her attention to the menu, not bothering to respond.

Latias sulked and looked down at her menu as well. After a few seconds Latias looked back at Bianca who was staring resolutely down at her menu. Latias lightly kicked her feet under the table. Bianca's lips twitched but didn't say or do anything beyond that. Latias kicked her again, slightly higher this time. Bianca gave her a quick glare.

Latias smiled. _"Well I think I know what I want. How about you?"_

Bianca rolled her eyes, deciding to give up on trying to be mad at Latias. It just wasn't possible. "Yes, I've decided too. What do you want?"

 _"I'll have what you're having."_ Latias replied simply.

Bianca tried to hold in her laughter, realizing what the issue was. "You can't read the menu, can you?"

 _"Not at all."_ Latias looked down in embarrassment.

Bianca motioned the host back over. "Hi, we'll both have a couple of tramezzini please."

"Excellent choice, I'll bring them to you shortly. Would you like any appetizers while you wait?" He asked while writing down their order.

"Some breadsticks would be nice." Bianca said after seeing Latias looking at another customer eating it a few tables over.

"Very well, just a minute then." Makito said before heading to another table.

Latias and Bianca looked out the window as they waited for Makito to come back with the breadsticks. Once he'd arrived with them they both grabbed one to eat. Latias had to put in an effort to not grab a bunch at a time. Taking a bite, she moaned at the exquisite taste the permeated throughout her mouth.

"That good, huh?" Bianca asked, smiling at the happy look on Latias's face as she quickly finished her first breadstick before moving onto another. Latias simply nodded as she kept eating. "Well don't eat too much; we have to save room for the tramezzini."

Latias nodded again before finishing the second bread stick. Bianca rolled her eyes and smiled at the silliness of the situation. Telling a legendary Pokémon to go easy on the breadsticks in a restaurant. Of all things.

A few minutes later Makito returned with their tramezzini. "Here you are, two tramezzini each. Will that be all or should I come back with dessert later?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, that'll be all. Thanks."

Makito nodded and filled their cups with more water before moving on.

Bianca turned and saw that Latias had already finished half of her first tramezzino.

"Wow, really Latias?" Bianca asked as she grabbed her own tramezzino and took a bite.

 _"It's so good!"_ Latias exclaimed. _"Why have I never had this before?"_

"Maybe because coming here by yourself with no money would be a bad idea? Plus there's the who you're mute thing for regular people." Bianca replied, though she did agree that the tramezzini were quite good. Far better than most other tramezzini served elsewhere in the city.

Bianca and Latias continued the rest of lunch talking about things they've seen and heard over the past week. Mostly they just enjoyed each other's company as they ate their food. After finishing they got up and Latias walked out as Bianca went to the Maître D' in order to pay after leaving Makito a tip on the table.

After walking outside Bianca went up to Latias who had walked up to the edge of the canal and was currently sitting on a bench. "Are you going to go finish your patrol now?"

 _"Yes,"_ Latias replied, looking up at the sky as she enjoyed the nice breeze that was blowing. She turned to look at Bianca. _"You may want to head back now so you don't get late. Lorenzo will get worried."_

Bianca playfully slapped Latias's arm. "Relax, I have plenty of time. But still, I suppose you can't be too careful. I'll see you later, ok?" Bianca turned and was about to leave before getting stopped by Latias grabbing her hand. She turned back.

Latias looked at her in appreciation. _"Thank you for lunch today. I had fun."_

Bianca smiled in return. "I'm glad, Latias. I had fun too." Bianca then left and headed back to the museum. While the lunch hadn't gone exactly how she'd planned, she'd seen a bit more of the old Latias. That was enough. She'd just need to question Latias more about what was going on in her head later. For now though, she really should get back to the museum before Lorenzo decided to search for her.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 _"Where the hell Cerulean City?"_ Ash asked himself as he continued to fly in the direction he was sure Cerulean City was in. After flying for a few hours, he thought he'd have made it by now. Deciding it was time to take a break, he flew down to the ground.

 _'Maybe I should try getting a bit more used to my body,_ ' He thought, looking at his hands, no, his claw. _'I am a_ _Pokémon now. I should be able to do attacks._ '

Ash nodded to himself as he thought hard about what attack he should try out. Dragon Claw? Dragon Rage? Dragon Tail? He looked back. Not much in the tail department, so that was out. Suddenly a thought struck him. Luster Purge. A Latios's signature move. That was it.

Ash looked around, searching for a suitable target. After a few moments he spotted the ideal target. A boulder.

 _'This is going to be awesome._ ' Ash thought as he flew over to the boulder. It was bigger than his Snorlax. Truly, it was a boulder among boulders. Flying up high, he took a moment to line up before speeding forward straight at the boulder.

 _"LUSTER PURGE!"_ He yelled out right before the world went dark.

* * *

 **A/N: Some of you may have noticed (I hope) that the restaurant is from a manga called Shokugeki no Soma. It's one of my favorite mangas currently. And since Alto Mare is based on Venice which is a part of Italy, which is where Takumi Aldini is from, I got the idea to put it into the story.**

 **Anyway, you all now have a glimpse of how Latias is doing. She's really good at hiding her pain. I'll be building off of that later in the story.**

 **You have no idea how many travel shows I watched about Venice before I felt I knew enough to maybe write a decent portrayal of Alto Mare. I hope you all liked it. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's been a while, but I finally managed to get around to finishing Chapter 3. It seems like I'm going to be alternating between Ash and Latias for chapters. That _may_ change after they meet each other. So right now we're back to Ash in Pallet Town.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I have bought most of the games.**

 **"Talking out loud."**

 _ **"Telepathy."**_

 ** _'Thinking.'_**

* * *

Ash groaned as the morning sunlight pushed through the gaps in his blinds to splendidly hit him directly in his face. He turned over and covered his head with his pillow in an attempt to stay asleep. It would have worked were it not for a flock of Pidgey outside chirping; no doubt they were there due to Mr. Mime giving them pieces of bread like his mom usually did. The local Pidgey would usually stop by during the mornings for an easy meal.

After spending a few minutes trying to stay asleep ended in vain Ash finally pushed the pillow off and languidly stretched while internally cursing Mr. Mime. Ash then turned to check on Pikachu. Seeing and not liking the fact that Pikachu was still sound asleep Ash decided to poke him in an attempt to wake him up. Several pokes later and Pikachu's ears twitched irritably. Recognizing the one and only warning sign, Ash quickly stopped and scooted back before Pikachu became thunder bolt happy. Luckily it seemed Pikachu was in an agreeable mood this morning as he started to slowly wake up.

' _Well this isn't a bad start to a day.'_ Ash thought as he watched his partner get up and yawn. He leaned back against his bed post and sighed in satisfaction. He felt lighter. Not by much, but it was a definite improvement. He couldn't recall what had caused it though.

Ash shook his head and looked over to check the time to see if breakfast would be ready. Or at least, that was what he was going to do if not for a certain picture blocking it. Ash's eyes widened and his hand shot out to grab the picture, startling Pikachu into fully waking up. Thoughts and recollections from last night rushed through his mind as he regarded the picture once again.

"Pikachu…" Pikachu grumbled out.

Ash looked over and smiled sheepishly when he saw Pikachu had almost been pushed out of bed by his sudden movement. "Ehehe, sorry Pikachu."

Pikachu just stared at Ash before glancing at the window and then turning back to regard Ash. He wondered why his best friend had gotten up so early before a glance at the picture in Ash's hand gave him the answer he was looking for. He pointed at the picture. "Pika?" He asked.

"Yeah, I was just remembering last night. What we decided. How to, well, go about it," Ash patted Pikachu on his head in reassurance. After giving the picture one last lingering look, he carefully placed the picture back on the night stand. "So, let's get to it."

Ash jumped out of bed and walked over to open the blinds and window. He looked down to see Mr. Mime dutifully tossing pieces of bread to the Pidgey. Ash shook his head in minor disbelief at the sight. It looked like there were at least 3 flocks of Pidgey out there. Word must have spread while he was away. Hopefully Mr. Mime had enough bread for all of them.

' _I guess Alto Mare really is going to be my next destination,'_ Ash thought as he watched the Pidgey eating their food. _'Well, about time I guess.'_

Throughout the night he kept thinking about Alto Mare, up until he fell asleep. But even in then his dreams just took over. Over and over again, so many different scenarios had run through his mind until at times it all seemed to blur together. Sometimes he decided to not leave and stay in Alto Mare. He'd either live by the Secret Garden or he'd actually live in the Secret Garden. Sometimes he'd get a job at the museum, or be a Pokémon teacher, or even become one of those people who gave tours of the city by boat. Other times he'd capture Latias and take her with him on his journey, or convince her to leave with him, or just battle her to get her. Sometimes she'd just ask to go with him or sneakily follow him after he left on the ferry. Other dreams had him returning to Alto Mare after winning a league and decide to settle down there or he just decided to take buy a vacation home there and stop by every time there was a lull in his ongoing journey. Needless to say he wished some of those had happened for real.

"Pi!" Pikachu called by the door, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah." Ash murmured before picking up some clothes and walking over to open the door so Pikachu could run downstairs while he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower.

Ash dumped his clothes unceremoniously on the counter and quickly started to brush his teeth, wanting to finish as fast as he could so he could get down to eat breakfast and head out. Glancing at the clock on the wall he saw that it was only a bit after 8 A.M. It was actually pretty early for him. After finishing up he got in the shower.

' _So much to do…'_ Ash thought as he relaxed under the falling water. _'Get the tickets, pick what Pokémon to bring, let his mom and Professor Oak know where he was going, actually get there, try not to get lost.'_ He rolled his shoulders as he leaned against the wall, all thoughts of taking a fast shower left his mind as the warm water washed over him.

The sound of the running water falling filled his ears, causing his thoughts to drift to the fountain in the Secret Garden. He hit his head against the tiled wall as once again his thoughts careened back to Alto Mare after the slightest reference. _'Something is really wrong with me.'_

His mind flashed back to his dreams. While they were all interesting, to say the least, one had actually stuck with him. Out of every scenario his mind had come up with in his sleep, one remained vividly in his mind even after waking up. Just one. It had felt way too real. He decided to go back to Alto Mare and was on a ferry traveling there. When Alto Mare was finally in sight, he swore that he could feel something calling him by the pier. Maybe he was sensing someone's aura or it was just wishful thinking on his part. Either way Ash had a sudden urge to send out his Staraptor and ride on him in order to get to Alto Mare quicker.

After what felt like hours but had actually been more like 10 minutes the ferry finally docked and he practically ran off to the exit, only slowing down on the ramp due to all the hustle and bustle on the pier. He wasn't even off of the ferry for a minute before he heard someone call his name. He turned and was presented with her right there in front of him gazing at him just like she had first time they had met. And just like the last time they met he knew it couldn't have been Bianca who was looking at him. Not with the expression in those eyes. Though as his eyes met hers he felt that there was a lot more feeling held in them than the last time. Then his mind seemingly shut off or something and he walked over and hugged her, feeling that there was nothing more important to do. That'd felt really nice, amazing actually. He could practically feel her heart racing against his chest. After that… He blushed at what had happened. What he had said. Luckily the dream had faded away after that point.

' _That was such a weird dream,'_ Ash groaned. He twisted around and turned up the heat of the water to distract him from exactly what he said to Latias in his dream. _'Why would I say that?'_

He decided to toss the thought out of his mind. It was impossible. Just a strange dream. There was no need to focus on it. _'But dreams don't usually keep repeating like that.'_ He mused, as it wasn't actually the first time he'd dreamed of Latias. Of course, all the other dreams over the years had been fleeting and indistinctive. Though the dreams did tend to involve hugging more often than not, and sometimes cuddling, that was all it ever really involved though. This was definitely the first time a love confession had been involved. He groaned and shook his head in a poor attempt to clear his thoughts. After spending a few more minutes to settle down he finally turned off the water and got out of the shower before putting on the usual outfit that he wore in the Sinnoh Region before going downstairs.

The sunlight was streaming through the window, illuminating most of the kitchen. Breakfast was already on the table courtesy of Mr. Mime. Pikachu was already almost done with his meal by the time Ash got to the kitchen. Pikachu spared a glance at Ash.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked with a faintly worried tone. Most may have missed it, but Ash certainly didn't.

"Sorry bud," Ash said after he sat down and took a quick sip of his milk. "I lost track of time in there."

"Pi pikachu." Pikachu looked at Ash for another moment before turning back to his food.

Ash grinned and starting eating his own food, glad for the much needed distraction and the warm breakfast. "Man, this is really good."

"Pika." Pikachu agreed from his position on the table. After eating all of the food Mr. Mime had set out for him Pikachu didn't seem to want to move anymore. This was further proven by a very loud belch courtesy of the small starter.

"You could've waited." Ash muttered, still rushing to finish his own breakfast. After another minute Ash finished his food and got up to toss all of the dishes into the sink.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked. He had already picked up his backpack and was looking at Pikachu expectantly.

"Pika?" Pikachu rolled over and stared at Ash.

"We gotta head over to Professor Oak's." Ash replied after seeing Pikachu's confusion. "We need to order the tickets before we get to Vermillion City, and I need to pick the team we'll be taking to Alto Mare. I mean, I'm pretty sure Tracey can help us with the tickets. I'd rather not accidently buy the wrong tickets again…"

"Pika pikachu," Pikachu frowned, remembering that almost disaster. Luckily Brock was there or they would've taken a ferry back to the Hoenn Region instead of the Kanto Region after separating from Dawn in Sinnoh. Though he wouldn't have minded seeing May and Max again. "Chu…"

Ash sweat dropped. "So yeah, let's go have Tracey help out. Plus I need the number of the Unova Professor they're visiting so I can call and let them know what's going on."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed before getting up and running over towards the door.

"We're heading out Mr. Mime!" Ash called out before rushing out the door with Pikachu in tow. He barely heard Mr. Mime's reply before slamming the door shut.

* * *

Ash couldn't help but smile as he and Pikachu jogged over to Professor Oak's lab. No matter how many times he made this 30 minute trek to the lab from his house it always felt like a journey in itself. Though after all the walking he's done on his journey, this was literally nothing more than a walk in the park.

There weren't many people out currently. Then again, he was surprised he was. Most people in Pallet Town usually only went out when there was something to do or something that needed to be done. Otherwise it was always a quiet place with people living the simple life. There wasn't anything really wrong with that. But for Ash, and Gary, the town always seemed so small. It was the one of the main reasons they wanted to leave on a journey.

' _Still,'_ He mused, slowing down as he glanced around to take in the scenery as he got closer and closer to his destination. _'It's good to know that some things never change.'_

He looked up as he got closer to the lab. Professor Oak's lab certainly wasn't an easy thing to miss. No doubt it was the most important part of Pallet Town. It was home to almost all types of Pokémon. And what was even more impressive than the Pokémon it held was the number of trainers that'd gotten their start there thanks to Professor Oak. It was hard to believe sometimes that he was one of them. It had been so many years since he had gotten his first Pokémon at that lab. Even to this day he and Pikachu were inseparable. No matter what. Now here he was, back again after another journey. He stopped when he saw a familiar sight.

"Do you recognize that, Pikachu?" He asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu gave him a minor shock in annoyance.

They had both stopped at the foot of the steps leading up to Professor Oak's lab. The very spot where his mom had thrown a quick goodbye party for him before leaving Pallet Town for the first time. Nostalgia had quickly set in. After spending a moment to reminisce Ash started to walk up the steps with Pikachu quickly falling into step behind him. As he got closer he quickened his pace, a move that Pikachu reciprocated immediately. Within a few minutes they were both in front of the lab, only a little short on breath. Ash wasted no time to ring the doorbell.

After a short time they heard something approaching the door. They both heard some strange sounds as whoever was on the other side of the door seemed to struggle with opening the lock. A moment later they heard the telltale sign of the lock unlocking. Suddenly the door had burst open and Ash barely had time to register surprise before he got smothered.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted. He jumped back in surprise before realizing what had happened. He grinned and moved closer after recognizing the old literal slimeball on top of Ash. "Pi pika!"

"MUK!" Muk shouted on top of Ash. Muk seemed more overjoyed than usual as he smothered, sorry, hugged his beloved trainer. It seemed like he really wanted to give Ash a traditional welcome back hug, Muk style.

"Aw shucks Muk." Ash griped. Yet the slight twitch of his lip gave away his delight in seeing his old friend again. That, and if he really didn't like Muk's hugs he certainly could've tried a little harder to get out of them. As it was he allowed Muk to hug him for a full minute before lightly pushing Muk off so he could stand up.

"Muk muk!" Muk grabbed Ash's hand and pulled him inside the laboratory.

"Who's there Mu- Ash!" Tracey shouted before rushing over to give Ash a handshake. "Welcome back, Ash!"

"Hey Tracey!" Ash grinned as he shook Tracey's hand. "Long time no see."

Pikachu climbed up to Ash's shoulder and gave Tracey a wave. "Pika!"

"It's good to see you too Pikachu." Tracey replied, giving Pikachu a pat on his head causing the little electric type to smile reflexively.

Muk, tired of being ignored, insistently pulled on Ash's hand again to get his attention. "Muk muk!"

Ash looked at Muk in confusion.

"Looks like he's eager to bring you to the rest of your Pokémon," Tracey gathered. "Maybe you should come back after seeing them. I have a bit more work to do. We can catch up later."

Ash nodded and started to follow Muk before recalling one of the reasons why he came to the lab. "Wait a sec Tracey! I actually have to ask you something now."

"Let me guess? You want to go to the Unova Region." Tracey guessed. "We all had a feeling you might since the have a Pokémon League there so we got you a ticket. I can give it to you before you leave."

"Uh, not quite." Ash chuckled at the shock on Tracey's face. "I'm actually planning on heading to Alto Mare again. Take a break, you know? I was hoping to let mom and Professor Oak know. So I kinda need the number of the place where they're staying at."

Tracey simply stared. "Alto Mare? Isn't that an island in the Johto region? I thought you already went there."

"Well, I sort of have an urge to go there again." Ash said sheepishly. The look of surprise on Tracey's face was starting to freak him out a little.

Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Tracey quickly snapped out of it and focused back on Ash. "Oh, well yeah, I can do that. Just stop by before you leave, yeah? I need to dig out the info from Professor Oak's desk. And you know what that's like."

They both turned and looked at the Professor's desk. It was a surprise it wasn't broken with all the papers and figures and equipment that was stacked on it. None of the drawers could even shut because of all the stuff crammed into them. Honestly, sometimes it seemed to evolve and grow more odds and ends on it without anyone placing anything on it.

"Well, I do plan on staying a while," Ash said. "I'll be back around lunch time."

"I think I can find it by then…" Tracey muttered, not even glancing at Ash as his eyes were fixated on a new stack of papers on the desk that he was sure couldn't have been there earlier.

Muk, seeing that they seemed to be done talking, took the initiative and tugged on Ash's arm to get him moving again.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," Ash said as he gave in and allowed Muk to pull him through the laboratory. "Later Tracey!"

Pikachu turned to wave goodbye to Tracey but stopped short at the sight of the doom and gloom that surrounded him as he slowly walked towards Professor Oak's desk.

' _Pikachu…'_ He thought.

* * *

"Muk." Muk stated proudly as he and Ash and Pikachu stood overlooking the Oak Corral. It was as impressive as ever. It was hard to believe the imagination of one man helped create this place. It was truly a haven for any type of Pokémon imaginable.

"All right then. First up," Ash said as he reached down and grabbed all the pokéballs he currently had on him. "Come on out!"

Five bursts of light appeared and all at once his Sinnoh team appeared. Infernape, Buizel, Torterra, Staraptor, and Gible. Gliscor should've been one of them but he had to send Gliscor back during the battle with Tobias. Unfortunately he couldn't bring Gliscor back because he wouldn't have enough room on his team. Luckily Professor Oak had mentioned that Gliscor had made some friends here and wouldn't mind staying longer. Ash was snapped out of his thoughts by a somewhat painful bite on his head.

"Hello to you too, Gible." Ash said, reaching up to pull Gible off.

"Gible." Gible waved in greeting.

"Are you all ok?" Ash asked.

All of his Pokémon gave an affirmative nod. They looked around, taking in the surroundings. Suddenly a shadow fell over them and they all looked up just in time to see Gliscor falling with style straight at Ash.

"Ugh!" Ash groaned as Gliscor crashed into him. Though he quickly grinned as he noticed just who had crashed into him. "Hey buddy, miss me?"

"Glis gliscor!" Gliscor cried out. He hugged Ash tighter, careful not to overdo it.

"I missed you too." Ash gave him a quick hug back before stepping back and looking at all of his Pokémon.

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned him. There was an unfamiliar look on Ash's face as he looked at them.

"Right," Ash sat down and stared at each of his own Pokémon as he got his thoughts together. After a moment, he was ready. "I wanted to thank you all for your hard work in Sinnoh. I couldn't have done any of it without you. Right now, I'm still wondering what to do next. So I'm going to have you guys stay here for the time being at Oak's Corral. This place is actually where I started my journey. It's a great place, I'm sure you'll love it here."

His Pokémon looked at him before looking back around. It was certainly lively. Open. It seemed fun. They smiled at him and nodded.

"Great!" Ash said, smiling at each of them. "And don't worry, if any are you or up to it, I do plan on going somewhere soon. It's not quite a journey, so it'll only be for a little while. But I'll let you know more about it when it happens. But how about you all go and explore? I'll come back during lunch time and we can all catch up then, ok?"

His response was shouts of approval before they all separated and ran or flew in different directions to explore. Even Muk decided to go with them, following after Torterra.

"Well that went better than expected." Ash said to himself before looking back at Pikachu. "How about you go out there too? I'm sure they'd like to see you. I need to get something from inside. I'll catch up later."

"Pi Pika!" Pikachu nodded in agreement before running off in the direction he saw Gible go in.

Ash watched until they were all out of sight before slipping back inside the lab.

Once he was back inside he quickly made his way to the living room, recalling that Professor Oak kept a computer in there for anyone's use. He heard grumblings nearby that sounded like someone was saying, "I swear this is some type of paper Pokémon. There's no other reason for such a mess to keep building up when no one is around." He decided to ignore it.

After making it to the room he sat down on turned on the computer. He looked around as he waited for it to turn on. The living room hadn't changed at all since he'd last been in there. Same couches, same desk, same carpet. Though there were a few more pictures on the shelves it seemed. He got up to take a closer look at them. Most of the pictures seemed to be of Gary standing at or by important looking sites or with important looking old people.

' _Guess he really on his way to being a first rate Professor.'_ Ash thought as he saw the apparent accomplishments Gary had been making since quitting being a Pokémon Trainer. There were a few pictures of him too. Only 2 with both of them though. One as kids and one right during the Johto League. A flash brought his attention back to the computer screen. He walked over and sat down to start his search. Alto Mare.

' _Let's see here…'_ Ash thought. _'Times, times, times…'_

After a few minutes Ash gave up, for some reason he couldn't seem to find any times for a trip to Alto Mare on the web site. He got up to go ask Tracey. Then he recalled what Tracey was doing and sat back down.

' _Best not to bother him.'_ Ash thought. He took another look at the site before scrolling back up to the top and noticing a warning. It seems like a storm was going on en route to Alto Mare and no ships would be going to or leaving Alto Mare today. Ash sighed angrily in frustration. It seemed like he'd have to wait a whole day before he could return to Alto Mare. After a few minutes he turned off the computer and started heading back to the corral. On his way he ran into Tracey.

"Ash! Done already?" Tracey questioned.

"Oh, no. I just had to use your computer for a second," Ash replied. He noticed a piece of paper in Tracey's hand. "Is that the number?"

"Yeah, it is," Tracey handed Ash the paper. "I wouldn't call them now though. There's a 13 hour time difference between us. You may want to wait till tonight to do it."

A thought struck Ash suddenly. "Hey Tracey, how far ahead is the Johto Region?"

"Only about 5 or 6 hours I think. Why?" Tracey looked at him in confusion.

"I was just wondering. Anyway, thanks a bunch Tracey," Ash said as he pocketed the paper carefully into his back pocket.

"Yeah, you better thank me for finding that needle in a haystack…" Tracey muttered thoughts of that evil desk looking thing filled his mind. He'd have to go back and clean that mess up later. _'Or burn it..'_ He thought darkly.

"What?"

"O-oh nothing!" Tracey stammered out before deciding a topic change was needed. "So have you seen all your Pokémon yet?"

"Not yet," Ash replied as he turned and started walking with Tracey. "I sent my Sinnoh team on ahead to get used to the place and explore."

"That's a good idea. You know Ash, a lot of your old Pokémon miss you. You should bring them with you sometimes." Tracey said, recalling how a lot of Ash's older Pokémon usually seemed down when they thought no one was looking.

Ash looked down. He had been thinking the same about them lately. But he wasn't quite sure how to go about it. Or apologize for unintentionally ignoring them for so long. "I know, I plan on it. I just need some time. And a plan."

"Ash Ketchum with a plan," Tracey deadpanned. "Sounds dangerous."

"Hey!" Ash yelled in mock hurt.

"Kidding, kidding," Tracey grinned at him. "Seriously, I'm glad you're thinking about it. Sceptile and your other Pokémon were super exited when you brought them to Sinnoh."

"I was glad too." Ash said, recalling the joy at having them with him in battles again. Then he recalled his earlier thoughts about who he was bringing to Alto Mare. Suddenly everything clicked in place. He knew the perfect team to take there.

"What is it Ash…?" Tracey asked uneasily. He knew that look on Ash's face. He'd seen it far too often. It was an expression Ash always wore while thinking of or right before doing something strange.

"Oh nothing," Ash grinned widely. "I just figured out the perfect team to bring to Alto Mare."

"Really? Who?" Tracey questioned.

"I'll tell in you in a bit. First…" Ash trailed off, causing Tracey to stop and look at him in worry. "Can you help me buy a ticket?"

Tracey faceplanted. _'I should have known…'_

* * *

 **OMAKE**

" _My head…"_ Ash moaned as he slowly regained consciousness. It felt like an Onyx, no, a Steelix just used Body Slam his brain.

"Are you ok?" A voice asked.

" _Oh no…"_ Ash muttered, realizing what must have happened. _"Am I dead Lord Arceus?"_

 _"What?! No! And I'm not Arceus."_ The voice replied.

Ash's heart sped up. If that wasn't Arceus, then… _"Giratina?"_

 _"How hard did you hit your head?!"_ The voice shouted at him. _"And why did you Tackle a boulder?"_

" _I didn't Tackle the boulder."_ Ash replied, not moving or even opening his eyes due to the pain in his brain. _"I Luster Purged it."_

There was a brief pause. The disbelief in the air was palpable. _"No. No you did not."_

Ash couldn't even dignify that with a response as his consciousness slipped away again.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah. Here it is. The having their dreams coincide wasn't something I had planned. But I thought it was a nice touch.**

 **Also, sorry this took so long. Classes. Anyway, this day isn't quite over yet. But we need to go back to Latias in the next chapter before this day continues for Ash.**

 **So, a question to you, my readers. Who should go with Ash to Altomare? I'd like reasons for your choices. I should mention that 2 spots are already filled. Pikachu (because he has to) and Totodile (because he must regain his honor for losing The Tour de Alto Mare before). You can submit by review or PM (submissions by review will be given more thought *wink wink nudge nudge*).**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'll be honest; I wasn't quite sure how to write this chapter. I think I managed it well enough though. It's back to Latias now.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I have bought most of the games.**

 **"Talking out loud."**

 _ **"Telepathy."**_

 _ **'Thinking.'**_

* * *

Latias groaned mentally as she trudged back to the Secret Garden while eating some pocky she'd picked up during her patrol. She made sure to take the narrow alleys and side streets to avoid the citizens of Alto Mare as she wasn't really in the mood to be around people. After spending the whole day patrolling Alto Mare she was ready to have dinner and go to sleep. She absentmindedly avoided the passersby while gazing at the ground in thought. Her psychic powers helped her notice whenever someone was getting close so she could sidestep them, along with their emotional state and thoughts if she focused enough. Though currently she was only using the bare minimum of power required to do it, not really caring to check who exactly was around her or her surroundings. After another long and uneventful day she just wanted to get back home to the Secret Garden and stay alone with her thoughts.

' _I should have finished ages ago…'_ Latias thought irritably. She knew she could have finished a lot earlier had she not ran into the Tour de Alto Mare Committee partway through her patrol. She had decided to tail them for a bit, out of minor curiosity and to see if they may need her help. Of course, that was a wasted effort. This early before the Tour, they didn't really have to do much. It would be a waste to prepare the canal now as it'd only get messed up in the days before the Tour started. Not to mention the fact that it would only pointlessly delay traffic for longer than needed. The entire time she just floated by and watched them hand out flyers and bicker about random things like colors and bets and who stole who's pocky. _'So petty.'_ She thought to herself, feeling slightly guilty as she finished the pocky.

She kept moving, deciding even if she did want to hurry home to just walk. If only to keep her mind a bit more preoccupied to avoid depressing thoughts. After lunch with Bianca, she barely paid attention at all to anything for the rest of the day. She barely remembered the patrol. It had all passed in an uninteresting blur. Still, she was confident that she didn't miss anything important. If only she hadn't seen that sign. That reminder. Then again, most things would bring _him_ to mind. Seeing an electric type Pokémon, or a black-haired boy with a hat, or a blue/white shirt. Well, just about a lot of things really.

Latias blinked and stopped. She looked around and realized that in her scatterbrained state she'd wound up on a bridge. The bridge. A few people walked around her, grumbling as she had suddenly stopped in front of them. She paid them no mind as she walked over to the side of the bridge and looked toward the right, seeing Ash in her mind's eye over on the road looking at her in vexation. Without meaning to, she was back in the place where she'd met Ash when he was looking for her. She smiled slightly at the thought of that moment. It had warmed her heart, to see him out of breath from running around Alto Mare in order to find her. To think they had the same idea at the same time. Maybe it was fate?

' _Though if it was fate, then why would he leave?_ ' Her mind unhelpfully asked her. Latias sighed as she leaned against the railing and looked down at the water, staring at her unhappy reflection. She really shouldn't dwell on these thoughts. Though, she didn't really have much else to dwell on after all this time. Looking up, she saw that the sun was quickly setting and decided to get a move on.

Taking one last look at the spot where she had once seen Ash stand, she quickly turned and started to make her way back to the Secret Garden. Most other people seemed to be going home too, as the streets and were busy with people hastily making their way to their destinations. She easily made her way through the crowd and quickly walked into an alley before taking an abrupt right turn, deciding to take the same route she'd taken when she had Ash follow her back when she guided him to her the Secret Garden. A quick pang shot through her heart. She bit her lip and leaned against the wall, trying to force it to subside. After a few moments she took a shaky breath and kept going. _"Not here, not now."_ She muttered.

She made her way to the end of the alley and took a left, glancing around to make sure no one was around. After the incident, she always made sure to be the most careful when going back home. Sometimes she'd even take 20 or even 30 minutes just to be sure if she was feeling paranoid. The people had thinned out and the noises grew softer as she kept walking until eventually there was no one around or voices to be heard. A rarity in this city, but then again, not many people ventured purposely near the true heart of Alto Mare. The disguised dragoness continued on and took another left and kept walking until she reached a familiar looking arch. The Tunnel of Leaves, a lesser known area of Alto Mare, at least it was to the tourists. She looked behind her, recalling the sight of Ash running right behind her in order to catch up to her. There was no one there this time however. Another pang shot through her heart. Luckily, this time she was able to ignore it better.

Latias walked into the tunnel and glanced around, quickly noticing some new locks on the arches. She shook her head at the sight. Yet, inwardly, she did think it was pretty sweet. It was something that had been done before, yet lately it was getting more popular. Love locks. She'd noticed one a couple of years back and decided to ask Bianca about it. According to Bianca, some humans with significant others would put their initials on a padlock and lock it onto something to signify their love. While the gesture was a bit lost to her, the sentiment behind it was not.

She admired the new locks for a bit before stretching out her psychic senses in order to check if anyone was around. Another habit she'd gotten into after the incident. It seemed no one was around for several blocks. Even the local Pidgey, which would usually use the bird bath by the Secret Garden, weren't around. Then again, she was later than usual. Still, she had to use her time wisely. It wasn't often it was quiet around her. Usually there'd be people or Pokémon or just noise from the city jarring her thoughts. She sighed and decided it was about time to get back to the Secret Garden. She'd dilly-dallied enough. She started to jog, mindful of keeping up appearances just in case as she made her way to the illusion wall that separated the Secret Garden from the rest of Alto Mare. Turning back, she slowly walked backwards into the illusion, staring at the dimming city as she finally arrived back home.

* * *

Bianca sighed in satisfaction as she stretched on her bed. She was dead tired after spending most of the day walking and talking to practically every person that walked into the museum. She'd didn't even bother to change her clothes and just walked over to collapse on her bed the moment she entered her room. Her feet had felt like they were dying near the end of her shift. Luckily, most people didn't feel like going to the museum near dark so the last shift of the day passed with relative ease. The only problem was closing. Still, as the curator's granddaughter, she had to be sure to put in as much effort as possible.

She rolled over and noticed that she'd left her easel out by her desk. There was an unfinished drawing on it too. For the life of her, she couldn't recall just what it was that she'd intended to draw. There was nothing but a bunch of random lines and squiggles on it. She sighed and looked back up at the ceiling, deciding it didn't really matter now. There were more important things to worry about. Like Latias.

Lunch had started off rocky with the mention of the Tour de Alto Mare event coming up. Bianca couldn't help but wince as recalled the tone of voice Latias had used when she mentioned it. She had sounded so… empty. She was sure Latias would be sad at the reminder. But Latias didn't give any emotion or outward reaction at all when she brought it up. That was worrisome. Especially for a being like Latias, who was usually so outgoing and expressive. In the past, she'd always beg Latios to allow her to go see it. And she'd decided to skip it last year. It's not like Bianca could exactly blame her though.

After the incident, Latias had gotten really bad really fast. Then she'd steadily gotten better, after 3 years. Latias still wasn't as happy as she used to be, but she was close. At least, it seemed that way. Though now she thought that it seemed more like Latias was just going through the motions, not really being there at all. Like a ghost.

Biance sighed in frustration and turned over again. This was going nowhere. The only way to fix it would be to talk about it with Latias. However, Latias wouldn't talk about it and deny it. So… that won't work. _'What to do… what to do…'_ Bianca thought worriedly. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her door.

A loud knock quickly grabbed her attention.

"Bianca!" Her grandfather's voice sounded through the door. "Are you not going to eat dinner tonight?"

"Sorry grandpa," Bianca answered, slowly sitting up. She really didn't want to leave her bed. But she really wanted to eat too. "I'll be down in a bit."

"That's fine," Lorenzo said. "Take your time; your food is in the fridge. I'm beat after all the restoration work I had to do in the museum today. So I think I'll be heading to bed early tonight."

"Ok, goodnight grandpa." Bianca called out.

"Goodnight dear." He replied before walking away.

Bianca could hear his steps get softer as he walked away. Once they were gone she got out of bed and made her way downstairs. Her grandfather was kind enough to leave the lights on and a plate and cutlery on the table for her. Smiling at his thoughtfulness, she opened the fridge and looked inside to see what she had to work with. There were a few local cuisines, yogurt, veggies, a few fish, and leftover pizza. Bianca frowned as she pondered her choices. In the end she decided to go with the pizza. There'd be far less preparation time involved. She reached for it, but then hesitated. She stared at the fish dish at the bottom of the fridge. Remoraid Mantecata. Or in English, Remoraid with Cream. It's a softened, dried, salted Remoraid that is prepared in olive oil, garlic, parsley, and creamed in a blender. Latias's favorite.

She stared at it when an idea suddenly hit her. There was one more thing she could try to get through to Latias. She made a snap decision and grabbed the dish out of the fridge and carefully placed the Remoraid Mantecata into the toaster oven to slowly warm it up. Next, she'd have to go get Latias. Nodding to herself, she went to the closet and grabbed a jacket and her signature white beret before quietly running to the door and slipped out without alerting her grandfather. Only one thing was on her mind. Latias.

* * *

Latias moved through the darkness of tunnel, slowly moving forward towards the light at the end until finally she'd arrived back home. She stopped suddenly and released her disguise, blue sparkling lights danced across her form until they faded and in their place was the red and white legendary dragoness in all her glory. Or at least, so a human would say.

Latias flexed her wings and quickly flew a few laps around the Secret Garden in order to see if anything was amiss. Luckily it seemed like everything was fine. Even the other Pokémon that would sometimes stay the night in the garden had all seemingly left for the night. No, she suddenly noticed some strange colors in the trees. Some were apparently staying, a few Butterfree and a Yanma or two.

Finally she brought her attention to the middle of the Secret Garden and flew over. As she neared the fountain she gazed down in sorrow as she saw all that was left of her brother. The Soul Dew. She stared at it for a few moments, working up the courage before beginning to talk, as she had done every night for the past 3 years.

" _Hello again, brother,"_ Latias started, moving a bit closer to the Sould Dew as she talked. _"Sorry I didn't stop by to say goodbye this morning. I was a bit distracted. Bianca came to visit finally. It's been a while, it seems like she's quite busy these days between work and her art. Anyway, we had lunch today at Tratoria Aldini's. You would have loved it! They had the best tramezzini. Well, fine, I've never had it anywhere else so I can't really compare… But I'm still sure they made the best."_ She trailed off a bit, looking down to see if there was any reaction from the Soul Dew. But like always, there was nothing.

Latias looked down and waited another moment before continuing. _"The patrol was really boring. Nothing happened at all. I shouldn't complain, it's good that the citizens didn't need help. It's just…"_ She bit her lip and decided to continue anyway. _"Something happened. I saw a sign saying that the Tour de Alto Mare is coming up. I got distracted all day because I kept thinking about the last one I went to. That we went to. I skipped last year, it didn't seem like I should go there without you. And now, well I'll probably skip this year-"_ A peculiar feeling suddenly came over her as she felt someone approaching the Secret Garden.

Latias's head turned towards the entrance as her body instinctively turned invisible. She glared towards the entrance as she flew closer, slowing as the sound of footsteps reached her ears. The person walked closer and as they exited the tunnel Latias saw to her relief that it was just Bianca. She was seemingly out of breath though. Latias dropped her invisibility and quickly flew over to her friend in concern.

" _Is something the matter? Are you ok? What's wrong?"_ Latias fired question after question as she circled Bianca, concern written all over her features.

Bianca sat on the steps and took a breath before replying. "In order? No. Yes. Nothing."

Latias blinked and stared in incomprehension. _"Wait, then why are you here? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"_

"I could say the same to you," Bianca retorted. "It seems like we both got back pretty late today."

" _Seems so,"_ Latias replied. _"Still, it's pretty late for you to come here. There must be some reason."_

"Ok, you caught me," Bianca turned and looked right at Latias with some hidden emotion beneath her eyes. "Since lunch went well enough, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner together too."

" _What?"_ Latias asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to come over to my place for dinner tonight," Bianca reiterated. "Like old times, remember those sleepovers we used to have?"

Latias did recall those sleepovers. When she was younger, Bianca would sometimes sneak her over to her house so they could play and eat and hang out together without her brother or Lorenzo bearing down on them. She smiled a bit at the memory before realizing what Bianca had said. _"Wait, now?"_

"Have you eaten yet?" Bianca asked.

Latias could feel her stomach rumbling at that reminder. Luckily, it wasn't loud enough for Bianca to hear. _"No, I haven't."_

"You haven't eaten, I haven't eaten. Seems perfect then, no?" Bianca grinned a bit. She was glad to see that Latias seemed to at least be considering it.

" _It's getting late…"_ Latias said, though she was clearly not that reluctant to say yes.

"That's the beauty of a sleepover. You don't need to leave late at night. You can stay till the morning." Bianca crossed her arms and stared at Latias, daring her to come up with another reason.

" _The Soul Dew."_ Latias said, glancing over at the fountain.

"It's been ok so far," Bianca said quietly as she too stared at the fountain containing Latios's Soul Dew. "I'm sure it'll be fine for one night."

Latias nodded. Bianca was most likely right. After 3 years with no one even coming close to the Secret Garden, she did feel like there was a good chance one night couldn't hurt. Besides, after nearly 3 years with no breaks, she deserved one night of fun. Though she would leave before sunrise to come back and check. And she would stay and talk to her brother again in the morning to make up for leaving. She turned towards an expectant looking Bianca. _"Ok, you win. Let's have a sleepover."_

Bianca smiled and jumped up to give Latias a big hug. "Yes! Oh, it'll be so much fun. We can eat in my room, tell stories, catch up some more, and you can tell me all about that dream you had this morning."

Latias blushed furiously. _"That's the real reason you wanted me to come over, isn't it?"_ She accused.

"Nope, it's just a bonus." Bianca grinned disarmingly as she started to walk towards the exit.

" _I'm beginning to have second thoughts…"_ Latias muttered as she followed Bianca, turning invisible again as she didn't feel like putting on the Bianca illusion again. She took one last look at the fountain housing the Soul Dew before it was out of sight as she entered the tunnel.

* * *

The trip back to Bianca's house was quick enough. Luckily, she lived pretty close to the Secret Garden. Though that had always been necessary considering her family's relationship with the Lati. Finally, the house was in sight. Bianca crept closer to the front door, glancing at the window's constantly to ensure that her grandfather hadn't gotten up while she was away. Luckily, all the lights except the ones in the kitchen appeared to be on. She slowly opened the door and tiptoed, in, leaving it open a bit longer than necessary to allow Latias to come in behind her. A quick nudge to her shoulder gave her the cue to close the door. Immediately the dragoness became visible again.

 _"It's_ j _ust like old times."_ Latias said wistfully.

"Yeah," Bianca whispered back in agreement. "You know where my room is, right? Go there; I'll be up in a moment with our food."

Latias nodded and started to move before a familiar scent reached her nose. _"Wait, what's that smell?"_

"You'll see in a few minutes," Bianca whispered frantically as she pushed Latias to get her to move faster. "But get upstairs first. Silently!"

" _I'm going!"_ Latias pouted as she quickly moved and flew up the stairs to Bianca's room.

' _Close…'_ Bianca thought before heading to the kitchen and quickly removed the Remoraid Mantecata from the toaster oven before it burnt. It seemed like they'd gotten back just in time. It looked only slightly crispy. Just how Latias liked it. She quickly put it on a plate and left it on the table to cool as she got out the leftover pizza to warm for herself.

After they fished, she made her way upstairs with both plates in hand and slowly pushed open the door to her room, wary of what mischief Latias may have gotten into while she was out of sight. Bianca sighed in relief as she saw her room looked exactly as she'd left it, except for the red and white dragoness in her bed whose eyes were fixed on the plate in her left hand. Smiling at Latias, she made her way over and placed both plates on the bed.

"Here you go, Latias." Bianca said as she offered the plate to her friend.

" _Remoraid Mantecata?"_ Latias asked as she stared at the dish. She had to make a conscious effort not to drool as the smell of the dish assaulted her nose.

"It's still your favorite, right?" Bianca asked teasingly.

Latias just nodded and leaned down to take a tentative bite and moaned a bit as the delicious flavor seeped through her mouth.

Biaca chuckled at her reaction and got up to bring back some drinks for the two of them. She came back shortly with some cups of water and placed them on the ground before leaning up against the bed post and watched Latias take a few bites of her dinner before getting her attention.

' _This is it; I need to make sure to not come on as strong as I did back at the Trattoria Aldini's.'_ Bianca thought before saying. "So how was patrol after I left?"

Latias swallowed her food, even though it wasn't really necessary since she was had telepathy, she felt like it would be rude to eat and speak at the same time. _"It was boring. Nothing really happened."_

"Oh? Well if you're lucky, this summer may pass with no major incidents like last year." Bianca said.

" _Ugh, don't mind me of that when I'm eating."_ Latias complained, shuddering as she felt the phantom feeling of sewage on her body.

"Sorry," Bianca chuckled as she took a bite of a pizza before continuing. "So do you mind if I ask you something personal?"

Latias stopped eating and turned to look at Bianca, sensing some nervousness in her. _"Of course you may."_

"Do you… Have you ever thought about leaving Alto Mare?" Bianca blurted out. She winced internally. That wasn't what she had in mind to ask Latias, but it was probably better than what she wanted to ask.

" _Leave?"_ Latias cocked her head and stared back at Biance in perplexity.

"I mean, like take a vacation." Bianca hurriedly added. Internally though, she laughed at the thought, considering that Alto Mare was considered one of the best vacation spots in the world.

Latias thought on the question. She didn't get where it had come from. However, she'd be lying if she'd never thought about it. She had wanted to travel the world. Go off on her own and see the sights. It didn't really matter where. Anywhere would be fine with her as long as the people were nice.

"Latias?" Bianca poked her shoulder.

" _Huh? Oh, sorry,"_ Latias turned her attention back to Bianca. _"Sometimes, I'd like to. But I can't leave the city. There's no way I could leave the Soul Dew."_

Bianca nodded, taking a sip of her drink. She was about to ask something else, but Latias continued.

" _Like Kanto. That may be a fun place to travel to."_ Latias added, lost in thought.

"Oh…?" Bianca smirked at her. "Isn't that where Ash is from?"

" _A coincidence."_ Latias said, pouting at the look on Bianca's face while internally trying not to turn red. She hurriedly took another bite of the fish and started to chew to avoid saying any more.

Bianca, thankfully, decided not to pursue that rocky path. For now.

They continued eating in silence. After a while, they'd both finished and were full. Bianca grabbed there cups and plates and put them on her desk before walking to her closet and grabbing her nightwear. "I need to go and change. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." Bianca then left, closing the door behind her.

Latias looked around, wondering if there was something she could do while she waited. Unfortunately, there wasn't really much there she could play with. So she decided to just lie in the bed and waited for Bianca to return.

After taking notice of the unfinished drawing on the easel, she thought back to that one time she came into Bianca's room to grab her drawing of Ash and Pikachu. She winced as she recalled how Bianca got a bit upset at her for doing that. It was an oversight on her part. Of course it was rude of her to give something someone else made to another person, even if they were a friend. Still though, luckily Bianca had wanted him to have it too. It would've been really awkward had that not been the case. Still, part of her wish she'd kept if for herself. If only to have a constant reminder of him nearby, maybe pinned to her tree. She shook her head at the thought. No, it was better off with him.

She turned at the sound of the door opening and saw Bianca walk back in.

"Ready for bed?" Bianca asked.

" _I guess so,"_ Latias replied, moving over for Bianca to lie down next to her. _"Do you mind sharing? We're both a lot bigger than the last time we did this."_

"What are you talking about? There's still enough room." Bianca said, motioning to the space they had.

Bianca then reached over to turn off the light. The moonlight filtered in through the transparent curtains, giving them enough light to still see each other well enough even this late at night.

They both lay there for a while in silence, the only sounds filling the room was their light breathing. Both of them were wondering what to say next. Eventually, Bianca broke the silence first.

"Latias?" Bianca asked.

" _Yes?"_ Latias turned to see Bianca looking at her with an expression akin to worry.

Bianca moved a bit closer and draped an arm around Latias's neck. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you as often as I used to. I just want you to know I'm still here. If you ever need me, just come and get me. Whether I'm at work or whatever, if you ask I'll come."

" _O-ok,"_ Latias looked at her in minor confusion. _"I know that, Bianca. And if I do need you I'll definitely tell you."_

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief and gave Latias a tight hug. "Thanks."

' _That's my line.'_ Latias thought fondly as she returned the hug as best she could in her position.

After a moment they released each other and smiled.

' _This is good enough. Right now, this is plenty.'_ Bianca thought as she gazed at Latias. Already it seemed like Latias was a lot less tense and on edge than she usually did. Maybe soon Latias would be as bubbly and talkative as she used to be. For now though, Bianca planned to take things slow.

Latias smiled inwardly as she felt the emotions rolling off of her friend. At this distance it was really easy to read Bianca's emotions. Happiness, fondness, and contentment. She herself mirrored these emotions. It really was just like old times.

"So, we're getting some new art work at the museum soon. Some are even from the Kanto Region," Bianca said, stressing the Kanto Region part with a wink which caused Latias to huff and turn away. Bianca chortled quietly. "Do you not want to hear about it?"

" _I do…"_ Latias groaned, turning back around.

"Ok, so they're mainly a bunch of scenery…" Bianca started. And for the next hour she talked about all of the new art that was coming to the museum until eventually they both drifted off to sleep, unable to stay awake anymore. Outside, a blue swanlike Pokémon flew by; its pink eyes gazed at them through the curtains before it silently continued on.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

Ash's eyes slowly opened. There was a dull pain inside is head as he struggled to get up. Eventually, he managed to. He looked around in confusion.

" _So you're finally awake, huh?"_ A voice sounded around him.

" _What?!"_ Ash yelped in surprise as he looked around to see where the voice had come from.

" _Above you."_ The voice said with mirth evident in its tone.

Ash looked up and felt his jaw drop at the sight before him. A small, pink feline looking creature floated before him.

" _Mew!"_ Ash exclaimed.

The Mew before him smirked. _"Well, it's good to see that you don't have amnesia. I was worried that you may've suffered some brain damage from trying to Tackle that boulder. Then again, maybe you already had brain damage considering you actually tried to Tackle a boulder."_

Ash blushed and turned away. _"What are you talking about? It was a Luster Purge attack!"_

" _I'm pretty sure a Luster Purge would've broke that boulder."_ Mew retorted, pointing to the still standing boulder.

Ash decided, then and there, that that boulder would be his new rival.

" _Still, don't worry too much. You did do some damage to it, I doubt that boulder will ever forget you."_ Mew said, trying not to snigger.

" _What?"_ Ash questioned, thoroughly perplexed with Mew's strange remark.

Mew's response was to simply point at the impression of Ash's face on the boulder's side before breaking down laughing.

* * *

 **A/N: So what did you guys and gals think? Good? Bad? Mediocre? I'd really like to know your thoughts. lol**

 **Latias's day is now finished. Next is going to be Ash's evening.**

 **I hope you all are liking the omakes. I got the idea to have Mew be there after reading A Pink Surprise by Uranium235.**

 **So, a question to you, my readers. Again. Who should go with Ash to Altomare? I'd like reasons for your choices. I should mention that 2 spots are already filled. Pikachu (because he has to) and Totodile (because he must regain his honor for losing The Tour de Alto Mare before). You can submit by review or PM (submissions by review will be given more thought *wink wink nudge nudge*).**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So now we're going back to the rest of Ash's day. This took a while, I had to write it right.**

 **I still haven't picked all the Pokemon who're gonna go with him to Alto Mare. Bayleef seems to be a popular choice, which means I can't really bring another grass type (sorry to those who voted for Bulbasaur). Charizard is really overpowered, plus he's training at the Charicific Valley, so he's out. So we have Pikachu, Bayleef, and Totodile. I have some people saying to leave a spot empty for Latias. It seems like a good idea, so I'll probably go with it (unless I get some really good suggestions saying otherwise). That leaves 2 spots open.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I have bought most of the games.**

 **"Talking out loud."**

 _ **"Telepathy."**_

 _ **'Thinking.'**_

* * *

Ash moaned tiredly as he fell backwards, landing none too gently on the ground as his fatigued body couldn't stay up any longer. Beside him, several of his Pokémon mirrored his actions. After returning outside, Ash made sure to spend at least 15 minutes with each of his Pokémo. He spent time with the entire Tauros herd at once to save time. Regret was now a word Ash fully understood. He grinned a bit as he looked around him and saw his Pokémon panting on the ground. It was plain to see the happiness on their faces even in their exhausted state.

His more playful Pokémon had decided to gang up and play tag with him while several others watched. The group consisted of Pikachu, Bayleef, Quailava, Totodile, Donphan, Corphish, Torkoal, Glalie, Gliscor, and Gible. Needless to say, some had decided to give up faster than others. A sudden shadow fell over Ash and he looked up in time to see Noctowl, Swellow, and Staraptor fly by in what appeared to be a race. It seemed like there was some pride thing going on with them.

"Bay." A quick nudge to his side distracted him and he turned to see Bayleef had decided to move a bit closer and had started to nuzzle him.

"Haha, well hello to you too, Bayleef." Ash replied, giving Bayleef a pat on the head which she seemed to really enjoy.

"Bay bay!" Bayleef said, smiling widely at him.

"That excited to see me, huh?" Ash questioned.

Bayleef only snuggled closer in response. A nearby sniggering caught Ash's attention. Quailava and Torkoal were glancing over at them and trying to hide their laughter. A quick glare from Bayleef quickly had Torkoal in his shell and Quailava hiding behind him. Bayleef huffed in satisfaction and resumed snuggling with Ash.

Ash just smiled awkwardly at her and lay back down. He was too tired to deal with them when they got like this. Even with his stamina, playing with all of his Pokémon in one afternoon really took it out of him. _'Still,'_ He mused, _'Worth it.'_

A movement by the tree line caught his attention and he turned to see some more of his Pokémon had come to see what all the commotion was about. He could make out Sceptile sitting on a sturdy branch while Bulbasaur, Heracross, and Torterra sat the base of the tree. It didn't really surprise him that they didn't want to play. Bulbasaur, Heracross, and Torterra weren't his fastest Pokémon. And Sceptile? Sceptile played the game too well.

"Chu." Pikachu said.

Ash turned and saw that Pikachu was looking back in the direction of the lab. He looked over and saw Tracey running towards them. Ash slowly got up, much to Bayleef's ire, and started walking over to meet him partway.

"Hey Ash!" Tracey called out once he was close enough. "It's getting late, are you planning on staying for dinner?"

Ash blinked and looked up. The sun had getting pretty low. He hadn't even noticed at all. He had been having so much fun playing with his Pokémon. But...

"Ash?" Tracey questioned.

"Huh?" Ash looked back at Tracy before realizing he had spaced out. "Oh yeah! For sure I'll stay for dinner."

"Great," Tracey said. "I'll go get everything ready."

"Do you need help?" Ash asked.

Tracey had a sudden flashback to the Orange Islands. Several, actually. Each and every time Ash tried to help him with food. It never ended well. There were burns. There were spills. There were mix ups with the Pokémon chow. And in one case, even poison. "Uh, it's fine Ash. I can manage." He laughed nervously.

Ash tilted his head in confusion as Tracey turned and ran back to the lab. Though Ash noticed he glanced at the trees before turning.

"Well ok then." Ash looked back and saw that most of his Pokémon, besides Pikachu and Bayleef, had gone. Probably back to their own areas for dinner.

"Pi pi pika?" Pikachu questioned. Bayleef nodded, seemingly having the same thought as Pikachu.

"Yeah, I'll stay out and eat with you guys." Ash said.

"Bayleef!" Bayleef grabbed Ash's wrist with her vines and started to pull him with her somewhere.

"Hey!" Ash yelped as Bayleef started tugging him. "Come on Bayleef, don't pull so hard."

"Bayleef bay." Bayleef replied, slowing down a little yet still keeping the firm grasp on his wrist.

Ash just sighed and resigned himself to following Bayleef.

Bayleef pulled him over one of the small lakes in the ranch. Looking over it, Ash could see Kingler and Corpish on the other side already eating their dinner. Bayleef quickly sat down and looked up at Ash expectantly.

"Right, right." Ash sat down next to her. Pikachu made his way next to him, making to keep a little bit of distance in order to keep an eye on Bayleef.

Bayleef glanced at Pikachu briefly before turning back to Ash. She opened her mouth to say something before a sudden yell grabbed all of their attention.

"I'm back guys!" Tracey yelled out, waving a picnic basket over his head.

"That was quick." Ash looked at him in surprise. To his side, Bayleef sulked as the almost perfect moment was ruined.

"Yeah," Tracey sat down next to them and starting pulling food out of the basket. Ash noticed something weird covering it. Something slimy. "Muk was kind enough to prepare the basket for us." That explained it. "Luckily for us, since he usually does that a lot for me and the Professor, I've gotten into the habit of placing all the food in Ziploc bags for protection." He pulled the bags out and carefully pulled out the food before handing some to Ash and placing some on the ground for Pikachu and Bayleef.

"Pika." Pikachu thanked him before digging in.

"Bay…" Bayleef muttered a thank you as well before starting to slowly eat her food. She'd deal with Muk later. Type advantage be damned.

Ash stared at her in slight confusion before shrugging and going back to his food.

Tracey smiled as he watched them eat, his fingers twitched a bit. He wished he had remembered to bring his sketch book with him. This was a perfect moment to draw. Even if he was closer than he sually was with his subjects. Regardless, his stomach growling reminded him that he was also famished and he too started to eat.

"So Tracey," Ash asked, taking a small break from eating. "I was wondering…"

"What is it, Ash?" Tracey glanced at him when he stopped talking midway.

' _Should I ask him?'_ Ash thought. He hadn't told any of his other traveling companions about the weird feeling plaguing him. Not even his staunchest friend, Brock. Still, it wasn't something he wanted others to worry about, in case it was bad. He made a decision. _'Better not.'_

"Have you ever been to Alto Mare?" Ash asked instead.

Tracey just looked at him. The expression on his face showed he may have realized that Ash asked a different question than intended. Luckily, Tracey decided not to pursue it. "No, I've wanted to, but never quite had the time. I've heard a lot about it though. It's a really famous city, after all."

Ash nodded in agreement. He recalled what made the city famous from the tour and history lesson he'd gotten at the museum. The architecture, the history, the events, the food. Latios and Latias.

"I've always wanted to go there and draw the whole island," Tracey continued, not noticing the forlorn look that came across Ash's face. "There's also a rumor that there are legendary Pokémon living there. A Latios and Latias, I think."

"Yeah, I know." Ash said. He took a deep breath and started eating again.

Tracey nodded. "I'd love to watch them and draw them, if I can."

Ash smiled, recalling his friends love and skill when it came to Pokémon watching. "I'm kinda surprised you're not an artist Tracey."

"You're giving me way too much credit Ash," Tracey laughed. "I'm not that good. I'm just a sketcher."

"Still," Ash argued. "Sketching is art too."

"Well, you're not wrong." Tracey agreed.

A soft snoring brought their attention to Bayleef. Apparently she'd gotten really tired after playing tag. She'd barely managed to finish her dinner before falling asleep. A quick glance at Pikachu showed that he was in the same boat.

Tracey silently got up and motioned for Ash to follow him. Ash got up and quickly followed him.

* * *

They made their way into the forest in silence. Ash looked around again as they made their way back through it. Though this time, Tracey went down a different path. This path was hard to see. Ash wouldn't have even noticed it had Tracey not started walking it. It didn't look at all like a path, but it felt like when. The branches were bent and the path was free of debris and twigs from something, probably Pokémon, constantly walking through it.

"So where are we heading?" Ash whispered to Tracey. He was being careful now. The experience he had gained throughout his journey taught him it was always necessary to be quiet in a forest at night. Even if you knew the area.

"I just wanted to talk to you without disturbing Pikachu and Bayleef," Tracey whispered back. "Have you made the decision on who to bring to Alto Mare yet?"

"Pretty much," Ash replied. "Just trying to figure out some things."

Tracey nodded. "Is Bulbasaur going to be one of them?"

"Nope," Ash said, wincing a bit. "I was actually gonna take Bayleef. Having 2 grass types would unbalance the team. Plus, Alto Mare is in the Johto Region, so Bayleef would be pretty close to home too."

"I guess you're right…" Tracey agreed, though he was clearly hesitant to do so. "It's just, there a Pokémon who always come and ask the Professor and I about you, you know? They miss traveling with you. You captured them, and yet…"

"Yeah…" Ash nodded in agreement. Tracey had a point. A big one, actually. "I am a pretty bad Pokémon trainer, aren't I?"

"What? No!" Tracey backpedaled. That wasn't where he was going at all. "No, you're not. You're just… preoccupied."

"Yeah, right…" Ash bemoaned.

"Listen," Tracey grabbed Ash and forced him to stop and listen. "You aren't a bad Pokémon trainer Ash. If you were, I'm pretty sure your Pokémon would have left here instead of waiting anxiously for you to come back after every League you go to."

"Still…" Ash bit his lip in contemplation. "There was so much more I could have done for them. That I should have done for them."

"Well," Tracey motioned for Ash to look to the side. "You can start now."

Ash blinked and looked over. Just beyond the trees in a little den made at the base of a big tree sat Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur rose up a vine and gave a "hello there" motion at the two of them as he stared unwaveringly at Ash.

"I'll leave you two alone." Tracey murmured before walking off in the direction of the lab.

Ash watched him leave before turning back to Bulbasaur. Seeing as how Tracey hinted at what he should do, something he knew he had to do eventually, he steeled his heart and walked over.

"Hey buddy," Ash murmured once he was close enough. "Been a while, huh?"

Bulbasaur merely gave a noncommittal shrug.

Ash tried not to wince at that. "Yeah, it's been a bit more than a while."

Bulbasaur sat up a bit straighter and looked at him. "Bulba bulbasaur."

"Thanks," Ash smiled. "But still, I should have been there more."

"Bulb bulbasaur saur." Balbasaur said.

Ash just hugged his knees to his chest. "I know but still… Things are going to change."

Bulbasaur looked up in confusion.

"I already know who I'm taking to Alto Mare," Ash started, thinking of how to proceed with his plan for after Alto Mare. Things were going to change. He wasn't sure how exactly, but they were. "When I come back, how would you like to come to the Unova Region with me? There'll be a new League, pokemon, and friends. What do you say?"

Bulbasaur's eyes widened. Faster than Ash thought possible, Bulbasaur had jumped up and pushed him down onto the ground with a surprise hug.

"Bulbasaur saur!" Bulbasaur shouted happily.

"Heh, great!" Ash hugged Bulbasaur back; glad one of his oldest buddies would be traveling with him again.

Bulbasaur quickly jumped off of him. "Saur bulba?"

"Uh, haven't thought that for ahead yet," Ash rubbed his head sheepishly. He actually didn't even plan on saying anything about the Unova Region either. It just came out. Still, it was the next step, logically. While he hadn't planned on taking any of his old Pokémon along, he couldn't deny the merits of it. And, as he gazed at Bulbasaur's happy face, he knew he had made the right decision. "I'll think about whom else to take once we're closer to leaving. For now, it's Pikachu and you for sure."

"Bulba." Bulbasaur stated proudly.

"I know buddy," Ash said, grinning as he patted Bulbasaur on the head. "The first gym battle will be yours. Promise."

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur said before yawning suddenly.

Ash felt the sudden need to yawn to. "It's getting pretty late."

Bulbasaur nodded sleepily in agreement. He looked at his den and then back to Ash apologetically.

"It's ok Bulbasaur," Ash said. He slowly got up and stretched. "It's pretty obvious there isn't any room here. Just stay and sleep well. I'm heading back to the lab. There are some things I need to check up on."

"Saur bulb." Bulbasaur managed to mutter before lying on the bed of leaves in his den and closing his eyes.

Ash smiled at the sight and slowly got up and silently walked away. Once he was far enough he started to jog. He really needed to get back to the lab. Unfortunately he couldn't see the path that Tracey took him on earlier, so he just decided to go in the direction that seemed right. Luckily, this time it worked out. After a while he was out of the trees and back in the plain area with the lab directly in front of him.

The lights were mostly off in the lab when he got there. The only one remaining on was the by door he needed to enter in. Tracey had been kind enough to leave it on for him. Ash flicked closed the door behind him and flicked off the light before making his way through the lab. There was enough moonlight shining in through the windows that he could see well enough. Though as he passed Professor Oak's desk, he had to be careful since there was a lot more papers and objects surrounding it and the nearby area than before. Ash looked at it quizzically as he carefully walked passed it.

A strange sound shot through the darkness. He glanced around uneasily.

' _Please don't be Team Rocket. Please don't be Team Rocket. Please don't be Team Rocket.'_ Ash chanted in his head as he slowly walked over to where he thought the sound originated.

Ash let out a sigh of relief once he got there. Apparently Muk sleeps in the lab. He was lying next to the fridge sound asleep, snoring. A large purple snot bubble inflating and deflating with every breath he took. Ash sorta wished he had a camera on him.

' _If only Todd was here.'_ Ash thought as he stared at the sight. Once he was satisfied that Muk was ok, he started to head towards the front door again.

Of course, things were never that simple.

"Leaving already?" A voice called from above.

Ash looked up and saw Tracey staring at him from the second floor. He had changed into his night clothes. And based on the water Ash could see falling from his hair, he had taken a shower as well. Ash quickly sniffed himself. He probably needed one too.

"I was expecting you to sleep outside or something with them," Tracey continued at Ash's silence. "Is something the matter?"

Ash stilled. There was no way he wanted Tracey to find out the honest answer to that. He needed to come up with an answer, quick. "I was, but then I remembered I needed to call my mom." Ash's eyes widened. He did need to do that actually. He totally forgot until right when he said it.

"Oh yeah," Tracey nodded, causing some droplets to hit Ash by accident. "I forgot about that. Well, you know where the phone is. Or are you going to call her at your house?"

Ash reached into his pocket to check if he still had the number. Thankfully he did. "I think I'll do it at home."

"That's a good idea," Tracey said before yawning as he came down the stairs and started walking towards the door. "Here, I'll lock up after you leave then."

"Ok," Ash followed him. "Thanks for the help today, Tracey. I owe you one."

"Its fine," Tracey chuckled as he opened the door to let Ash through. "What are friends for?"

"Yeah…" Ash murmured as Tracey shut and locked the door behind him. "What are friends for?"

* * *

Ash stared absentmindedly at the door for a few minutes. That question was circling through his head. Throughout his journey, he'd made lots of friends. And they were always there for him, and he was always there for them. Well, no. Most of them. There were a lot he'd lost or forgotten or left behind along the way. Primeape. Pidgeot. Squirtle. Butterfree. Haunter. Lavitar.

Of course, some of those didn't really count. He had never caught Haunter and Lavitar. Butterfree found a mate and was not living with her in a forest somewhere. Squirtle was helping out with the Squirtle Squad. Pidgeot and Primape though. That was another matter entirely. He had promised them both he'd come back, yet he hadn't. Ash's heart clenched at the thought of them. They were some of his most loyal Pokémon. Well, maybe not quite Primeape. He was in the end though. Pidgeot was definitely always there for him. And how did Ash repay them? By promising to come back and never doing it.

Ash sighed as he walked down the stairs.

"Pika!" A voice called out.

Ash turned around in surprise.

"Pikachu," Pikachu said once he had caught up with Ash. "Pika pika."

"Sorry," Ash held out his hands in front of him. "Tracey dragged me away to talk. I swear I was going to come back for you."

"Pika?" Pikachu was less than impressed with his answer.

"Uh," Ash sweated. He knew that look. "Plus, I thought you wanted to sleep out here. I know you're not that comfortable with the bed. And the floor is too hard. So yeah…"

Ash prayed Pikachu was satisfied with that answer.

"Pikachu chu," Pikachu agreed. He turned around and jumped up a few steps before turning around. "Pika pikachu?"

"I need to go call mom. Its ok, I'll be fine. You enjoy your stay here. I'll be back in the morning to pick you and everyone else who's coming with us to Alto Mare." Ash waved Pikachu off.

Pikachu waved back before turning and quickly scampering off back to the ranch.

Ash watched him go until he was out of sight. Once Pikachu was gone, he sighed and kept going.

' _Where was I?'_ Ash thought as he made his way down the stairs. _'Oh right, how dumb I've been.'_

It was true. He had broken a promise. Not just one, but two. He had left Primeape and Pidgeot behind. He angrily shook his head. There was no way he could leave things like that. Not with them. Not with anyone. At some point, he had to go and get those two back. That is, if they wanted to be with him again. It's not like he could blame them if they didn't. Especially after all these years. Still, if there was a chance, he'd take it. He'd show them he still cared and would do whatever it took to get them to see that and forgive him.

As he walked through Pallet Town, he didn't pay attention to what was going on around him. His thoughts kept going to his Pokémon. Old and new. There were things he had to work on. But before that, he needed to work on himself. His hand grabbed the front of his shirt, right in front of his heart. That was a problem. He wasn't even sure what was wrong with him. Even after playing with his Pokémon all day, he still felt slightly sad. And he had no idea why. Maybe it was because he missed Alto Mare more than he thought. Even that shouldn't be the reason though. He and Totodile lost the Tour de Alto Mare, he didn't get to explore the city and eat the food that he wanted, and Latios had lost his life. There really wasn't much to look back on happily there.

' _Well,'_ Ash thought as he opened the door to his house. _'That's not totally true.'_

Latias had been there. Amazingly enough, that had pretty much countered everything else. Actually, it tilted things in favor of actually liking the small vacation there. Even if she had stolen his hat. His heart warmed up at the memory and he smiled as he kicked off his shoes and sat down in front of the video phone. He pulled out the number that Tracey had given him and dialed it. After a few rings, the call connected and an unfamiliar face showed up on the screen.

"Hello. Can I help you?" The lady who answered the phone blinked as she stared at him.

Ash glanced down at the paper and checked the name. "Hello, are you Professor Juniper?"

"Yes, that's me." The now identified Professor Juniper replied.

"Hello, my name is Ash. From Pallet Town." Ash said.

"Oh!" Professor Juniper's eyes widened. "I've heard of you. Yes, I believe Professor Oak has mentioned you quite a few times. The pride of Pallet Town, I believe he calls you."

"Ehehe," Ash grinned sheepishly. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Maybe so," Professor Juniper smirked at his expression. "So Ash, let me guess, you need to talk to the Professor?"

"Yes, please. And my mom, if she's there too." Ash responded.

"They are both here now. We haven't quite started anything here, they both came early to get some R&R before he and I start our studies. I'll go get them now." Professor Juniper said before leaving.

Ash wondered what it was the Professor Oak wanted to study. He had never heard much about the Unova Region before, so he wasn't sure about what they could have there. Still, the legendaries couldn't be as powerful as the ones in Sinnoh, hopefully. Before Ash could continue with that that, Professor Oak and his mother appeared on the screen.

"Hello, my boy." Professor Oak said joyfully before being edged off screen by his mother.

"Oh Ashy, are you ok?" His mom asked worriedly.

"Hey Professor, hey mom," Ash said, smiling at the two of them. "Don't worry mom, I'm fine. I just got back from Professor Oak's lab. I dropped all my Pokémon off there."

"Oh?" Professor Oak raised an eyebrow. He had finally noticed where Ash was calling from. "I would have thought you'd be on the plane to Unova by now, if not at the airport at least."

"I decided not to go," Ash said. Seeing there looks of shock, he added. "Yet. I'll go there. Just not yet."

"Why not, honey?" His mom looked at him in slight worry.

"I decided to take a small break. In Alto Mare." Ash looked at his mom, slightly guilty.

Though the smile from his mom got rid of any guilt he had felt right away.

"Really? Isn't that the place where you got the wonderful drawing from?" His mom smiled at the thought of it. "I'm glad to see you're taking a break. I wouldn't want you to tire yourself out. Especially so soon after a League."

"But why Alto Mare?" Professor Oak questioned.

"It just seemed like a good place to go. I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I could've last time." Ash shrugged, hoping the Professor wouldn't pursue that line of questioning.

Professor Oak stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Well, that's good then. I hope you have a fun time there. Let me know how it is, will you? I too may want to go there. I hear it's quite the beautiful city."

"It is." Ash nodded in agreement.

"Ok then, well I hope you have fun too." His mom said, smiling at him.

"Thanks, mom. For everything." Ash wished he could say more. But he wasn't sure how to properly thank his mom for all that she'd done. So he just tried to pack as much emotion into his thanks that he could.

"You're welcome. For everything." She winked at him.

Ash was pretty sure she'd figured it out.

Professor Oak coughed. "Well then, is there anything else Ash?"

"No," Ash replied. "I'm just gonna head off to bed now. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon. I should be in Alto Mare by the evening."

"Ok, make sure you call me when you get there. Or at least, before you leave." His mother said.

She was never going to forgive him for doing that one time.

"Right," Ash sweatdropped. "Well good night. Or good afternoon, to you, or something."

"Good night." They both replied before ending the call.

Ash sighed in relief, glad that it was over. He walked over to the couch and lay down. He was too tired to go upstairs. Instead he just closed his eyes and decided to sleep there. Mr. Mime could wake him up in the morning. Yawning when final time, he closed his eyes.

' _Tomorrow,'_ Ash thought as his conscious slowly slipped away. _'Tomorrow I'll be there.'_

* * *

 **OMAKE**

Ash growled slowly as Mew circled him. _"What are you doing?"_

" _Checking you out."_ Mew replied.

" _I'm sorry, what?"_ Ash slowly backed away.

" _Oh get your mind out of the gutter,"_ Mew rolled her eyes. _"I meant I was making sure you're ok."_

" _Oh, ok."_ Ash moved back forward.

Mew poked his head.

" _Ouch!"_ Ash yelled.

" _Did that hurt?"_ Mew poked his head again.

" _Yes! Quit it!"_ Ash batted Mew's paw away.

" _I think you may need a Chansey."_ Mew said.

" _I'm fine,"_ Ash retorted. He turned around to fly away but instead flew back into the boulder.

" _Now you're definitely not fine…"_ Mew said.

Unfortunately, Ash could barely hear her. His consciousness slipped away again courtesy of his new eternal rival. The Boulder.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew, I'm glad this came out as it did. Your votes helped make some of this possible. I feel bad for Bulbasaur, and it seems like many of you did too. So while I couldn't have him come (this time), I decided to give Ash and him a special moment.**

 **It seems Ash still doesn't quite get why he needs to go to Alto Mare. But then again, if he knew why, he wouldn't really be Ash.**

 **These omakes are pretty easy. But still, if you guys would like to see something happen in them, drop a line, and I'll see what I can do with it.**

 **So, a question to you, my readers. Again. Who should go with Ash to Altomare? I'd like reasons for your choices. I should mention that 4 spots are already filled. Pikachu (because he has to), Totodile (because he must regain his honor for losing The Tour de Alto Mare before), Bayleef (because you all seem to want drama), and a blank spot (for a certain someone). You can submit by review or PM (submissions by review will be given more thought *wink wink nudge nudge*).**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I'm really sorry about how long this took to get out. What with school volunteer work, and my job… Well, let's just say that my life is really busy for me right now. I'll always endeavor to not take more than a month to update this though.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. However, I have bought most of the games.**

 **"Talking out loud."**

 _ **"Telepathy."**_

 _ **'Thinking.'**_

* * *

"Latias?" A voice called out loudly. "Latias?"

" _Leave me alone…"_ Latias groaned back. She was having such a good sleep. The best she had had in ages, since Ash was staying in Alto Mare and her brother was alive. She was way too comfortable to do something irksome like waking up. And this meddling voice wasn't helping matters at all.

Latias scarcely heard an irritated sigh just before experiencing a sharp poke to her right wing.

" _Hey!"_ Latias jumped up and turned to attack the source of the sharp poke with a Dragon Claw at the ready only to pause at the sight of Bianca looking back at her. She was holding up a clock and pointing to it, which admittedly, was a bit of a strange sight to see, especially first thing in the morning. _"What?"_

Latias stared at the numbers on the clock with incomprehension.

12:36 P.M.

" _Is that…?"_ Latias looked out of the window. The sun was definitely high up in the sky. She slowly turned to look back at Bianca. _"Am I…?"_

"I think that you might be just a bit late for patrol." Bianca said ruefully.

Latias didn't even bother with responding before using Psychic to fling the blanket off of her and flying straight out of the window in a red and white blur. The passing wind from the force of her departure caused several papers to fly off of Bianca's desk and onto the floor. Bianca walked over to the window and stared after her. Latias was already nothing more than a red and white dot in the distance by the time she got there.

"Well there goes eating breakfast together…" Bianca muttered to herself.

"Well that's certainly a shame, I just finished making lunch. Or would it be brunch for you now?" A voice said from behind her.

"Good morning grandpa," Bianca said while yawning. "Why didn't you wake us up sooner?"

"I tried to," Lorenzo replied from his place by her door. "But for some strange reason, you two wouldn't wake up at all. The both of you slept right through your alarm. The alarm that I could hear from downstairs, I would like to add. You two didn't stay up that late, did you?"

"Uh, nope. We didn't stay up late. We went to bed really early, in fact." Bianca lied while staring at the floor.

"Hmm…" Lorenzo hummed doubtfully. "Well, lunch is ready for you downstairs."

"Wait, shouldn't you be at work already?" Bianca asked.

"It's the weekend before the Tour de Alto Mare," Lorenzo said in response. "You remember what that means, don't you Bianca?"

"Oh," Bianca blushed at her forgetfulness. "That's right…"

The museum would always shorten its hours right before the Tour de Alto Mare started up until it was over with. While the Tour was happening, other shops would have lots of deals and specials going on, and the museum couldn't really compete with that. While it may cause some more people to visit to visit the museum, there was a serious lack of visitors during the lunch hours and dinner hours. Because of that, the museum saw fit to limit its hours and workers during this time period. It has been working out really well since it was first proposed and no one ever complained so it stuck and became somewhat of a tradition.

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs," Lorenzo said. He backed out of the Bianca's room and started to shut the door before pausing briefly. "And try not to be any later this time. The food will get cold."

"You got it," Bianca said before pushing the door the rest of the way shut. "I'll be right there!"

Bianca could hear chuckling coming through the door. After a moment, she could hear the sound of heavy footsteps walking away.

"Now what?" Bianca asked herself as she looked around her room. There was a lot to clean up, although most of it was because of Latias's quick exit. Thankfully, she had put away the dishes last night; otherwise the heavy smell of the food would have most likely been smothering her right now. She would have to fix the bed, rearrange her closet, and a few other things. She sighed. This day off wouldn't be that much fun. But if she managed to finish everything fast enough, she might be able to go see Latias again.

"Bianca!" Lorenzo shouted from downstairs. "I meant lunch was ready for today! Not tomorrow!"

"I know!" Bianca shouted back. "I just need one more minute grandpa!"

Bianca hurriedly changed out of her night clothes and into a forest green summer dress with yellow sunflowers on it. She checked herself out in the mirror to make sure it looked ok. It seemed fine, there was just one thing missing. She picked up a matching green colored beret with yellow trimmings and put it on. "Perfect."

Smiling to herself in the mirror, she quickly made her way downstairs.

"Well, it's about time." Lorenzo stated with a hint of mirth in his as Bianca made her way over to the table.

"I'm really sorry grandpa." Bianca said regretfully. Usually on days when she and her grandfather were free, they would spend the day together eating out or wandering the streets and canals. But today it seemed that she had screwed up their usual routine.

"Oh no, you're fine," Lorenzo laughed. "We still have some time to ourselves. Since breakfast has past, we can do brunch now. And afterwards, we can go help Latias out with her patrol so we can spend dinner together out. How does that sound?"

"That sounds perfect!" Bianca exclaimed. "Really, thank you so much grandpa."

"You're welcome. Now hurry up and eat, we will have a lot of ground to cover if we want to help Latias out."

"Right." Bianca said before quickly started to eat the food her grandfather had made in order to leave faster.

"And before we leave, I want you to tell me exactly what happened last night." Lorenzo added.

"Right…" Bianca said with a bit less enthusiasm.

* * *

' _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.'_ Latias kept repeating to herself over and over again as she rushed to start her patrol. For the first time since, well, forever she was late for her patrol. Even if chances were slim that something would happen, it was her duty to watch over Alto Mare. She couldn't shirk her duty no matter what happened. That was something her brother had instilled into her since long ago, and it was something she swore to take to heart. It was doubly bad because she didn't realize that she was still visible until a few minutes after leaving Lorenzo's house. Luckily, no one seemed to notice and she managed to continue on without and problems.

Latias's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered something else she had to do. She stopped suddenly and turned in the direction of the Secret Garden before speeding towards it. If anyone happened to be looking up, they would have seen a flock of puzzled and agitated Pidgey flying in place looking around after being pushed by the wind left in Latias's wake as she flew in-between them. Normally, Latias would have stopped and apologize profusely to each and every one of them. Now, however, she was preoccupied with worrying about her brother's Soul Dew.

In less than a couple of minutes, she was back in the garden. She ignored all the other Pokémon that were wandering about and hastily made her way over to the fountain housing a brother's Soul Dew. She peered inside before letting out a sigh of relief. It was still there. It was safe. Almost immediately all the tension that was built up in her body flowed out as she gazed at the Soul Dew. Even though she knew her brother would be mildly upset at her, she knew that deep down she sometimes put the Soul Dew above Alto Mare. It was hard not to considering that it was her brother who watched over her for her entire life. While she may live in and guard the city, it was her brother who watched over her and cared for her.

" _Hello again brother,"_ Latias said to the orb within the fountain. _"I'm here…"_

Latias gazed at the Soul Dew mournfully. Even after three years, the pain still remained. Still, she had to put up a brave front. With Bianca and Lorenzo around, it wouldn't do good to worry them with her own inadequacies. She checked to make sure the water was clear and the fountain was clean. While it was almost impossible for either of those to be anything but that, she still felt better after checking.

" _I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you last night,"_ Latias started. _"And I'm sorry for not coming to see you before my patrol. And for not going on patrol. And… Well, a lot of things really."_

Latias sighed sadly as she stared at her brother's Soul Dew. This wasn't really helping her like it usually did. If anything, she was starting to feel worse. It was as though the happiness she had gained from hanging out with Bianca yesterday had been completely sucked away. It wasn't because she was remembering her brother again though. There was something a bit more than that. She couldn't tell what it was though, and that too was starting to eat away at her. She may as well keep talking though, for Latios's sake if not her own.

" _Do you remember when I was talking about the Tour de Alto Mare yesterday? Bianca came in the middle of it, so I couldn't finish. Anyways, it's coming up next week. I don't really want to go. It wouldn't be the same without As-you. Without you there, it just seems so trivial."_

Latias broke off and looked around to make sure no other people or Pokémon were around. As usual though, there were no people and the Pokémon that usually inhabited the garden were all well away from the fountain as per usual. Again though, it didn't really matter since she was talking with telepathy. Still, she had to be cautious. Cautious Pokémon always lived longer. And without her brother to watch her back, she had to be more cautious than ever.

" _The rest of the patrol wasn't bad though,"_ Latias added after a moment. _"No one caught me or suspected me of being a Pokémon. The citizens of Alto Mare are all happy too. They seem even happier with the Tour coming up, so that's good. Besides that, most of the shops are pretty much the same. Do you remember Trattoria Aldini's? Bianca and I went there yesterday for lunch. It was as perfect as ever. We just had tramezzini, and it was delicious. After that, I finished the patrol. Oh! Do you remember the Tunnel of Leaves? I know I told you a while back about how people were putting padlocks on them with their initials or something like that on them. Well the tunnel has even more of them locked in there now. It's really impressive, actually. Well, I bet you would think they're an eyesore. But I like them. It's certainly romantic…"_

Latias sighed as she thought back to those love locks. That was something she wished had been a thing back when Ash was here. Maybe they could have hung one up. She shook her head at the thought. She shouldn't think about things like that. It would always lead to sad thoughts.

" _Sorry, where was I?"_ Latias asked after shaking off those thoughts. _"Oh right, so the Tunnel of Leaves has gotten really full with those love locks. There are other areas in Alto Mare with those locks too, from what I saw during my patrols. Some are getting taken down because the city officials consider it vandalism. Speaking of the city officials, I saw them yesterday by the main canal overseeing the preparations for the Tour de Alto Mare. It looks like it will be even more challenging this year. They added obstacles. It should be interesting, I guess. I may have to go, to make sure that no one gets hurt. Though really, the only person who managed to be careless enough to need saving was… Ash."_

And there she was again. But back to the main issue at hand. Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Lately, more and more things could remind her of him. And the dreams she was having certainly weren't helping. They seemed to be getting worse, actually. Or better, actually, depending on the person's perspective. The dreams seemed to be getting realer too. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that they were in fact actually happening. The feelings and emotions that those dreams evoked were too strong to just be something that she had made up in her sleep. Still, the fact remained that they couldn't be real and most likely would never be real, no matter how much she wished that it wasn't that way.

" _Anyways,"_ Latias continued. _"There really isn't much else for me to add. Well, the sleepover Bianca and I had last night went pretty well. Uh, we didn't stay up that late… Ehehe, and besides that, we just talked about some museum stuff and girl stuff. I doubt you'd want to hear all about that, right? I thought so. Well, it's really late right now; I should start doing the daily patrol. And I'm sorry for being late today, I overslept. It was because of Bianca though, honest. She said she would set her alarm but it didn't go off so that's why I'm late. But don't worry, I'll finish it. After all, it's my duty."_

With that said, Latias turned and started to make her way out of the Secret Garden. As she neared the exit, she noticed two very familiar looking silhouettes making their way towards her. Thoughtfully, she made her way towards them.

" _Bianca? Lorenzo?"_ She questioned once she was close enough.

Both Bianca and Lorenzo stepped out into the sunlight, both of them in their casual clothing. It was a sight that she didn't get to see that often. Evidently, they both apparently had a day off today. Both of them smiled at her as they walked closer.

"Hello Latias, I missed you this morning. How are you?" Lorenzo asked.

" _I'm well Lorenzo,"_ Latias replied with a smile at the elderly man. _"Sorry for leaving so soon and without saying hello or goodbye to you. I was late for my patrol."_

"I noticed," Lorenzo said with a slight grin as he looked towards a sheepish looking Bianca. "Bianca filled me in on the details. Or most of them, I believe."

Bianca gave a nod in confirmation.

" _Well thanks for stopping by,"_ Latias said as she moved passed them a bit to leave. _"But I really must be going now. I'm really late for my patrol."_

"Now hold on there Latias," Lorenzo waved at her to stop before continuing. "That's why we're here. We have a day off, so we thought maybe we could help you with your patrol. Is that alright?"

Latias blinked. That was irregular. Welcome, of course. But definitely irregular.

" _Are you sure?"_ Latias asked hesitantly. _"It's your day off. You should be able to enjoy it."_

"And we will," Bianca stated. "At night though."

Latias stared at the two of them in confusion.

"We decided that we would help you with your patrol and then have dinner together afterwards." Lorenzo explained.

" _Oh."_ Latias stared at them in dawning comprehension. They wanted to help her. And not only that, they wanted her to stick around with them more. _"Well, if you're sure…"_

"We're both sure." Bianca said with a smile. "Now let's get going. There's going to be booths and stalls set up tonight by the harbor to kick off the week of the Tour de Alto Mare. I want all of us to go there and enjoy it together."

"Well that sounds good to me," Lorenzo said. "And you, Latias?"

" _I agree,"_ Latias smiled happily as she circled around them leisurely. _"I'll meet the both of you by the harbor after I finish the North section. You two can both do the South section. We should finish at about the same time."_

Lorenzo and Bianca both nodded in agreement to her plan. And with that, she quickly went invisible and left the Secret Garden to finish the patrol as fast as she could. All the while, she couldn't help but feel like something really good was going to happen tonight. Although it was most likely just because of the past few happy days she had been having. Still, she didn't mind hoping that her feeling was right and that something good would actually happen. Either way, as long as she was with Bianca and Lorenzo she knew she'd be as happy as she could ever be.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

" _Are you ok?"_ A now very familiar voice asked.

" _Huh?"_ Ash asked groggily.

" _Are you ok?"_ The voice repeated.

Ash slowly opened his eyes to see Mew in front of him. Again. _"Ohhh…"_

" _I'll take that as a yes."_ Mew said brightly.

Ash looked around. They appeared to still be in the forest. Though currently, there wasn't anyone around. Not even the boulder. _"Did you move us?"_

" _Well duh,"_ Mew said. _"I didn't want you to hit the boulder as you woke up are something."_

Ash was about to retort heatedly before stopping to think. To be honest, there was actually a pretty high chance of that happening unfortunately.

" _So here we are,"_ Mew added once she saw that Ash wasn't going to say anything. _"Thank Chansey."_

" _Thank Chansey?"_ Ash parroted before noticing a movement to his right. He turned and was about to say something before something got shoved into his mouth. He started to choke on it.

"Here you are Latios," The Chansey said cheerfully. "One of my eggs should heal any leftover damage."

Ash roughly swallowed the soft egg and started to pant. Then his eyes widened. _"Wait, your eggs can heal people?"_

"I think so." Chansey said optimistically.

" _You think?!"_ Ash yelled.

" _Oh shut up,"_ Mew said. _"Does your head still hurt?"_

" _Well, no…"_ Ash replied.

" _Then it worked."_ Mew smiled wickedly.

* * *

 **A/N: So for those of you who are wondering, Ash and Latias will see each other in the next chapter. Yes, the time has come at last.**

 **Also, the Pokémon that he will be taking with him will be** **Pikachu (because he has to), Totodile (because he must regain his honor for losing The Tour de Alto Mare before), Bayleef (because you all seem to want drama), and a blank spot (for a certain someone), Gible (because he's adorable and attatched to Ash) and Pidgeot (because she needs to be back already).**

 **Thank you for those of you who voted for your choices. I appreciate all of them. Really, I do. This team seemed to be the most interesting, and the reasoning behind them was sound. So yeah, I'll be going with this. The main reasoning behind these choices that I got from you isn't due to power or balance, but interaction and synergy. I feel like they will be able to interact together well. Well, eventually at least.**

 **Now I have another question. Should Ash and Latias meet as soon as he gets off of the ferry or during the street festival somehow (accident, running into each other, noticing each other, etc)? As always, you can let me know in the reviews or PMs.**


End file.
